Devon Park Biodiversity and Carbon Project

The Devon Park Biodiversity and Carbon Project is an environmental planting initiative located on the historic "Devon Park" property, approximately 11km south of Dunkeld and 30km east of Hamilton in Victoria’s Western District. Registered in May 2022, the project covers 177.3 hectares and is managed by DPC Administration Pty Ltd, an entity of the prominent Dunkeld Pastoral Company. The project operates on the fertile Victorian Volcanic Plains, a region renowned for high-value sheep and cattle grazing, benefiting from reliable annual rainfall of approximately 693mm and rich basaltic soils.

The project utilizes the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM 2024 methodology, having transitioned from the 2014 version in late 2025. This method requires the establishment of permanent native forests on land that has been clear of forest cover for at least five years. The plantings consist of a mix of native tree and shrub species endemic to the area, designed to mimic the structure of the local vegetation community. Under this methodology, carbon abatement is calculated using the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM) rather than direct field measurements, provided the plantings meet specific density requirements to achieve "forest cover" status (typically 20% canopy cover and 2 meters in height).

An interesting aspect of this project is its location on a property of significant state heritage. Devon Park was originally part of the "Linlithgow Plains" squatting run and was held for over 90 years by the Clarke family, descendants of W.J.T. "Big" Clarke, one of Australia’s wealthiest early pastoralists, before being acquired by Allan Myers’ Dunkeld Pastoral Company in 2020. The carbon project appears to be part of a broader strategy by the new owners to integrate conservation and biodiversity corridors within a large-scale, 2,000-hectare commercial cattle breeding operation.