Ploughshare Revegetation

Ploughshare Revegetation is an environmental planting project located approximately 15km southwest of Wedderburn in the Loddon Shire of Victoria. The project, registered in March 2015, covers 92.17 hectares of land that was previously used for agriculture. The site is situated within the Victorian Goldfields region, roughly 75km northwest of the major regional city of Bendigo.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM) Methodology Determination 2014. This methodology involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species on land that was clear of forest for at least five years prior to commencement. In this specific case, Greenfleet utilized direct seeding techniques starting in 2009 to restore the property with a biodiverse mix of native vegetation, aiming to sequester carbon and restore local ecosystems.

The Wedderburn region is characterized by a temperate to semi-arid climate with average annual rainfall between 400mm and 500mm. The soil profile typically consists of sedimentary clays and loams common to the Goldfields, supporting Mallee and Box-Ironbark vegetation. The project site adjoins the Nardoo Hills Reserve, serving as a critical wildlife corridor in a landscape heavily altered by historical farming and mining activities.

Interesting features of the project include its name, which is derived from the Ploughshare Wattle (Acacia gunnii), a native shrub found on the property. The planting mix was designed to replicate local Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) and includes species such as Gold Dust Wattle, Grey Mulga, Slaty She-Oak, and the threatened Kamarooka Mallee. The site is managed in conjunction with Biolinking Australia and provides habitat for native fauna, including the Swift Parrot and Malleefowl.