Ploughshare Revegetation

Ploughshare Revegetation is a permanent mixed-species environmental planting project located approximately 7km northwest of Wedderburn and 80km northwest of the major city of Bendigo in Victoria. It was registered in March 2015 and covers 92.17ha.

Environmental planting projects involve establishing native trees or mallee species to achieve permanent forest cover. Under the 2014 Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology, the land must have been predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to project commencement.

The Wedderburn region in the Loddon Shire is known for agriculture, predominantly broadacre cropping and sheep grazing, alongside public conservation areas like Box-Ironbark forests. The area is considered semi-arid, typically receiving around 450mm to 470mm of mean annual rainfall, and the soils are generally described as sandy clay loams, rocky metamorphic soils, and quartz-rich loams.

Located on land traditionally owned by the Dja Dja Wurrung people, this forest is named after the Ploughshare Wattle (Acacia gunnii) found in the area. In 2009, the proponent, Greenfleet, direct-seeded native species across 262ha of the property to restore infertile agricultural land, reverse topsoil erosion, and build crucial wildlife habitat. More than 25 native plant species can now be found on the property. In May 2021, a variation was made to the project which removed some areas from the original project extent, bringing the registered project area to 92.17ha.