Greening Australia and Canopy Nature Based Solutions National Reforestation Program 2023

Greening Australia and Canopy Nature Based Solutions National Reforestation Program 2023 is a large-scale, aggregated environmental planting project operating across multiple Australian states. Registered in March 2023, the project currently covers approximately 4,262 hectares. Unlike single-site projects, this initiative encompasses a diverse portfolio of properties. Coordinate analysis reveals a significant presence in the Gippsland and Alpine regions of Victoria (near Yarram, Sale, and Omeo), the Southern Tablelands and Monaro regions of New South Wales (near Berridale and Gundaroo), the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas in South Australia (near Minlatone and Ceduna), and the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology. This method is designed to sequester carbon by establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species on land that was previously cleared for agricultural use. To meet the requirements, the planting must include species local to the area and be established at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover (typically a potential height of at least 2 meters and 20% canopy cover). As a "National Reforestation Program," the project likely utilizes a dispersed model where multiple landowners partner with the proponent, Canopy Nature Based Solutions (a subsidiary of Greening Australia), to re-vegetate marginal farming land.

Given the immense geographic spread, the environmental conditions vary drastically across the project area. The Victorian Gippsland sites generally experience high rainfall and feature fertile loams or clay soils typical of dairy and intensive grazing country. In contrast, the sites in the South Australian peninsulas and the Western Australian Wheatbelt are situated in semi-arid zones characterized by lower rainfall, sandy or calcareous soils, and land use dominated by broadacre cropping and sheep grazing. The New South Wales sites in the Monaro region typically face cold winters and are situated on granite-derived or basalt soils used primarily for wool and beef production.

An interesting aspect of this project is its dynamic structure; registry notes indicate variations in May and December 2024 where areas were amended or removed. This fluidity is common in aggregated projects, allowing the proponent to add new landholders or remove unsuitable sites without deregistering the entire project. The proponent, Canopy Nature Based Solutions, was established by the non-profit Greening Australia to facilitate market-based environmental restoration, effectively acting as a bridge between corporate carbon finance and on-ground conservation work.