Restoring Murray Woodlands 029 Biodiversity and Carbon Project

Restoring Murray Woodlands 029 Biodiversity and Carbon Project is a permanent environmental planting project located in the Berrigan Shire of the Southern Riverina, New South Wales. Situated approximately 20 kilometers north of the border towns of Mulwala and Yarrawonga, the project covers 8.64 hectares of freehold land. Registered in August 2024, it is part of the "Restoring Murray Woodlands" pilot, a specific tender collaboration between the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) and the Clean Energy Regulator aimed at combining carbon credits with conservation agreements.

The project utilizes the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM methodology, which involves establishing native tree and shrub species on land previously cleared for agricultural use, in this case, for at least five years prior to registration. The specific goal of this tender is to restore threatened ecological communities such as Inland Grey Box, Sandhill Pine, and Box Gum Grassy Woodlands. As a "co-benefit" project, it is designed to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) while simultaneously enhancing biodiversity and creating habitat for local fauna like the Squirrel Glider and Superb Parrot.

The surrounding region is characterized by the flat, semi-arid plains of the Riverina, traditionally used for mixed farming operations including dryland cropping and livestock grazing. The proponent, James William Hermiston of Hermiston Ag Enterprises, manages agricultural properties in the area, known for their clay-loam and red-brown earth soils which typically receive around 450-500mm of annual rainfall. This project represents a shift toward integrating conservation into productive farming landscapes, offering long-term protection (in-perpetuity) for the restored woodlands.