Manning Hill Reforestration

Manning Hill Reforestration is an Environmental Planting project located at Bunyah, near Krambach Mountain, approximately 30km east of Gloucester in the MidCoast region of New South Wales. It was registered in May 2023 and covers 102.68 hectares.

Environmental planting projects involve establishing permanent plantings of a mix of native tree and shrub species on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to project commencement. The methodology generally requires planting at a stocking density sufficient to achieve a mature forest cover, traditionally defined as reaching at least 2 meters in height and 20% crown cover.

The Bunyah and broader MidCoast region has a long history of dairy farming and beef cattle grazing. The area's environment is classified as high rainfall, averaging over 1,200mm annually, with soils that can be highly acidic and often require careful management for agricultural productivity.

This project aims to restore 85 hectares of critical koala habitat across the property's slopes and riparian areas after more than 100 years of cattle grazing. It involves planting 12,300 locally endemic trees and shrubs (tubestock) at a high density of 500 stems per hectare. Grown mostly from locally sourced seeds, these plantings are intended to eventually reach a 40% canopy cover and heights of 18 meters or more. In addition to supporting koalas, the project provides co-benefits by creating habitat for endangered species like the Spotted-tailed Quoll, Squirrel Glider, and local orchid varieties, while simultaneously managing erosion on steep slopes.

The project has been supported by a $164,866 grant from the NSW Government's Living Carbon program, which was matched by $149,778 in co-funding from the proponent. It is also certified under the Accounting for Nature framework (Account ID: AU00087) to actively monitor and track the condition of the vegetation over time. In January 2025, a minor variation was made to formally update the proponent name to Tamplin Family Holdings Pty Ltd as Trustee for Tamplin Family Trust.