Carbon + Biodiversity project ID R2 1387

Carbon + Biodiversity project ID R2 1387 is an environmental planting project located at "Kestrel," a sheep grazing property in Nangus, approximately 25km west of Gundagai in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Registered in May 2023, the project covers 14.11 hectares and involves the permanent establishment of mixed native tree and shrub species. The project was developed under the Australian Government’s Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot (Round 2), which provides financial incentives for farmers to sequester carbon while simultaneously delivering biodiversity improvements.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM methodology, which requires planting native species at densities sufficient to achieve forest cover (typically greater than 200 stems per hectare depending on the specific pilot protocols). The Nangus region is part of the South West Slopes, characterized by a temperate climate with reliable rainfall (averaging 600–800mm annually) and soils consisting largely of red chromosols and kurosols, which support productive pasture and cropping.

The proponent, John Hindmarsh, is a long-term grazier who has been actively revegetating the property for over four decades, often focusing on riparian zones and shelterbelts for his prime lamb enterprise. This specific project establishes three distinct blocks of vegetation designed to link existing habitats and provide shelter for livestock. Unlike standard carbon projects, the Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot explicitly rewards the "biodiversity stewardship" aspect, requiring plantings to adhere to strict protocols regarding species diversity and structure to maximize ecological value.