Patches Flat Environmental Plantings Project

Patches Flat Environmental Plantings Project is a reforestation initiative located at Bungawalbin in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, approximately 10 kilometers south of Coraki. Registered in December 2022, the project covers nearly 67 hectares of land situated along the Woodburn-Coraki Road. The property, known as "Patches Flat," sits on the floodplain of the Richmond River, an area traditionally utilized for intensive agriculture including sugar cane cultivation and dairy farming.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings, FullCAM) Methodology. This methodology involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species on land that has been clear of forest for at least five years. Standard requirements for such projects typically include planting at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover (often 200 stems per hectare or more) and maintaining the vegetation permanently to sequester carbon. In this specific instance, the project is transitioning former sugar cane paddocks and grazing land back into native woodland.

Environmentally, the Bungawalbin area is characterized by a subtropical climate with high rainfall, though it is also susceptible to significant flooding events, such as those seen in the Northern Rivers in 2022. The terrain is largely flat floodplain, featuring alluvial soils and clays that support wetland and riparian ecosystems. The project aims to restore these ecosystems by planting a mosaic of vegetation types, including dry rainforest, Melaleuca swamp, and eucalypt forest, to reconnect remnant vegetation on higher ground with the river.

A notable aspect of this project is its partnership with WWF-Australia under the "Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative." The proponents, Field and Flower Pty Ltd (trustee for the Pritchett Family Trust), are led by owners Suellen Thompson and Gray Pritchett, who also operate a cut-flower farm on the site called "Field and Flower." The project is explicitly designed to create a wildlife corridor to support the local koala population, with plans to plant over 50,000 trees to link existing habitats.