Manning Hill Reforestration

Manning Hill Reforestation is an environmental planting project located in the rural locality of Bunyah, approximately 40 kilometers south of Taree and 30 kilometers inland from Forster on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Registered in May 2023, the project covers 102.68 hectares. The site is situated near Krambach Mountain, a significant local geographic feature, and lies within the Mid-Coast Council local government area.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM 2014 methodology. This framework requires the establishment of permanent plantings of native tree species on land that has been clear of forest cover for at least five years prior to registration. The method typically necessitates a stocking density, often exceeding 200 stems per hectare, sufficient to achieve a forest canopy cover of at least 20% at maturity. The "FullCAM" designation indicates that carbon abatement is calculated using the Australian Government's Full Carbon Accounting Model, which estimates carbon storage based on tree growth data and site-specific variables.

The region is characterized by a humid subtropical climate with high annual rainfall, generally exceeding 1,000mm, which supports robust vegetation growth. The landscape in the Bunyah and Krambach hinterland typically consists of rolling hills with soils that range from clay loams to podzolic soils derived from sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Historically, the area has been heavily utilized for beef cattle grazing and dairy farming, industries that have shaped the cleared landscape the project now seeks to rehabilitate.

Notably, the Manning Hill Reforestration project has been identified as a recipient of the NSW Government's "Living Carbon" grant. This funding supports the restoration of critical biodiversity corridors, specifically targeting habitat for the endangered Koala, as well as the Spotted-tailed Quoll and Squirrel Glider. Reports indicate that the project involves planting locally endemic species to restore forest connectivity on land that had been used for cattle grazing for over a century.