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 located across multiple agricultural regions in southern Australia. Registered in March 2023, the project covers approximately 4,262 hectares spread across Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and Western Australia. Key planting sites are situated near towns such as Yarram and Sale in the Gippsland region (VIC), Yorketown on the Yorke Peninsula (SA), Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains (NSW), and Katanning in the Wheatbelt (WA).

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology, which involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species on land previously used for agriculture. The primary goal is to sequester carbon while restoring local biodiversity. By integrating these plantings into existing farming operations, often as shelterbelts or block plantings, the project aims to provide co-benefits such as shade and shelter for livestock, reduced soil erosion, and improved water quality.

Given the widespread nature of the project, the environmental conditions vary significantly between sites. The Victorian Gippsland sites generally experience high rainfall and feature fertile loam or clay soils suitable for dairy and intensive grazing. In contrast, the sites in the Western Australian Wheatbelt and South Australian Peninsulas typically lie in semi-arid zones with lower rainfall and sandy or calcareous soils, where cropping and extensive grazing are common. The New South Wales sites in the Snowy Monaro region are characterised by a cooler tablelands climate and granite-derived soils.

Canopy Nature Based Solutions, a for-purpose subsidiary of the non-profit Greening Australia, manages the project. Upon its launch, it was noted for being one of the largest reforestation aggregations in Australia by number of landholders, involving diverse restoration activities designed to create "nature-positive" outcomes beyond simple carbon sequestration.