Restoring Murray Woodlands 028 Biodiversity and Carbon Project

Restoring Murray Woodlands 028 Biodiversity and Carbon Project is an environmental planting project located approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Deniliquin in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Registered in July 2024, the project covers 41 hectares and is situated within the Edward River Council area (formerly Conargo Shire). The surrounding region is a significant agricultural hub known for large-scale sheep grazing, particularly Merino wool production, as well as irrigated cropping for rice and winter cereals.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology, which involves establishing permanent native forests on land previously cleared for agriculture. To meet the methodology's requirements, the project must plant native species local to the area at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover (typically over 200 stems per hectare) and protect them for a period of 25 or 100 years. This specific project is part of the "Restoring Murray Woodlands Biodiversity and Carbon Tender," a collaborative initiative by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) and the Clean Energy Regulator. This program is designed to create "co-benefits" by generating carbon credits (ACCUs) while simultaneously restoring threatened ecological communities such as Box Gum Grassy Woodlands and Inland Grey Box Woodlands.

Environmentally, the Deniliquin region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 400mm. The landscape features flat alluvial plains with soil types ranging from heavy clays to sandy loams, often interspersed with sandhills that support native pine vegetation. The proponent, F.S. Falkiner & Sons Pty Ltd, is a subsidiary of Australian Food & Agriculture (AFA) and is historically significant for owning iconic properties like the "Boonoke" merino stud. In late 2024, AFA was the subject of a high-profile acquisition by a US-backed agriculture and natural solutions company, explicitly targeting the development of large-scale carbon sequestration assets across these historic grazing properties.