Babinda Swamp Forest Restoration

Babinda Swamp Forest Restoration is an environmental planting project located in the Wet Tropics region of Far North Queensland, immediately adjacent to the town of Babinda and approximately 60km south of Cairns. Registered in July 2024, the project covers approximately 38 hectares of land that was historically used for intensive agriculture. The surrounding region is renowned for its sugar industry, with vast sugarcane fields dominating the flat coastal plains between the Bellenden Ker Range and the coast.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of mixed native tree species on land that has been clear of forest for at least five years. The specific goal of this project is to re-establish a "Swamp Forest" ecosystem, likely consisting of Melaleuca and other wetland-tolerant native species, to achieve forest cover. The carbon abatement is calculated using the FullCAM model, which simulates carbon sequestration based on the specific growth curves of the planted species in that location.

Environmental conditions in this area are extreme by Australian standards; Babinda famously competes for the "Golden Gumboot" award and is frequently cited as the wettest town in Australia, with average annual rainfall exceeding 4,000mm. The soils in this location are typically alluvial and hydromorphic clays found in the floodplains of the Russell River catchment.

A significant feature of this project is its inclusion in the Queensland Government's Land Restoration Fund (LRF). Identified as project R3003, it secured $1.5 million in funding to restore endangered ecosystems and wetland vegetation. Beyond carbon sequestration, the project is designed to deliver co-benefits such as improving water quality flowing into the Great Barrier Reef and providing habitat for threatened wildlife.