Beaufort Wastewater Treatment Plant Revegetation Project

The Beaufort Wastewater Treatment Plant Revegetation Project is an environmental planting project located approximately 3.5 kilometres northeast of the town of Beaufort in Western Victoria. Registered on August 21, 2024, the project covers 93.46 hectares of land held by the Central Highlands Region Water Corporation (Central Highlands Water). The site is situated within the Pyrenees Shire, a region traditionally characterized by broad-acre agriculture, including sheep grazing and cereal cropping, alongside forestry operations in the nearby ranges.

Operating under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology, the project involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species on land that was previously used for agriculture. The methodology requires these plantings to achieve forest cover, typically defined by a stocking density of at least 200 stems per hectare, to sequester carbon in the biomass of the growing trees. This specific project aligns with Central Highlands Water's broader sustainability strategy, which includes a pledge to reduce emissions by 20% by 2025 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2035.

The environmental conditions in the Beaufort region are temperate, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 550mm to 600mm. The landscape generally features sedimentary soils, often manifesting as clay loams or light grey loams over clay, which are well-suited to the native mixed-species vegetation selected for the site. The project is likely situated on the buffer land surrounding the wastewater treatment infrastructure. This facility has also been the focus of the "Beaufort Reuse for Recreation" initiative, a separate $3 million project commissioned to supply recycled water from the plant to irrigate local community sports grounds, highlighting an integrated approach to land and water management in the precinct.