Restoring Murray Woodlands 027 Biodiversity and Carbon Project

Restoring Murray Woodlands 027 Biodiversity and Carbon Project is an environmental planting project located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, approximately 12 kilometers southeast of the town of Moulamein. Registered in September 2024, the project covers 15.57 hectares of land that was previously used for agriculture, likely grazing or cropping which are dominant in the surrounding Murray River Council area.

This project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology, which involves establishing permanent native vegetation to sequester carbon. A standard requirement for such projects is planting at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover, typically at least 200 stems per hectare, using species native to the local area. Uniquely, this project appears to be part of the "Restoring Murray Woodlands Biodiversity and Carbon Tender," a flagship initiative by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. This program combines carbon credits with in-perpetuity conservation agreements to restore threatened ecological communities, such as Box Gum Grassy Woodlands and Sandhill Pine Woodlands.

The environment in this part of the Riverina is characterized by a semi-arid climate with rainfall occurring predominantly in winter. The landscape sits on riverine plains featuring soils that typically range from heavy clays (Vertosols) to sandy loams and Chromosols, which are well-suited to the saltbush and mallee vegetation native to the district. By integrating carbon farming with conservation, the project aims to create vital habitat corridors for threatened species like the Squirrel Glider and Superb Parrot, while diversifying on-farm income.