Greening Australia and Canopy Nature Based Solutions National Reforestation Program 2023

Greening Australia and Canopy Nature Based Solutions National Reforestation Program 2023 is an environmental planting project spread across multiple aggregated sites nationwide, including locations near Traralgon and Sale in Victoria, Ceduna and the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, Goulburn in New South Wales, and Katanning in Western Australia. It was registered in March 2023 and covers 4,262.88 ha.

Environmental planting projects under the FullCAM methodology involve establishing permanent native vegetation. This requires planting local tree and shrub species at a sufficient density, typically at least 200 stems per hectare, to achieve a forest cover with a potential height of at least 2 meters and a 20% crown cover.

Because this is a national program of works, the regional land use and environmental conditions vary significantly across the distinct sites. The Western Australian and South Australian sites are generally located in semi-arid zones characterized by lower rainfall and sandy or calcareous soils, where the dominant land use is broadacre cropping and sheep grazing. In contrast, the Victorian and New South Wales sites are situated in higher-rainfall zones with fertile clay, loam, or basalt soils, typically utilized for dairy and beef cattle farming. To meet project requirements, all land parcels must have been used predominantly for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to commencement.

Canopy Nature Based Solutions is a dedicated, for-purpose arm of the non-profit Greening Australia, established to manage environmental credit markets and reinvest profits into biodiverse restoration projects. As a nationwide program, the project operates dynamically alongside private landholders, and variations to the project were made in May and December 2024 to amend and remove specific land areas from the active portfolio.