Swartz Planting Project

Swartz Planting Project is an environmental planting project located in the locality of Glenroy, approximately 45 kilometers northwest of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Registered on September 9, 2024, the project covers a relatively small area of 41.90 hectares. The site sits within the Rockhampton Regional Council area, a region heavily associated with the beef cattle industry, often referred to as the "Beef Capital of Australia."

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology. This involves establishing permanent native vegetation, either through seeding or planting tube stock, on land that has been clear of forest for at least five years, typically ex-agricultural land. The project aims to achieve a forest cover density (typically at least 200 stems per hectare) which allows the carbon sequestered by the growing trees to be modelled using the FullCAM software rather than requiring expensive direct field measurements.

Environmentally, the site is situated within the Fitzroy Basin, which generally experiences a sub-tropical, semi-arid climate with summer-dominant rainfall averaging between 700mm and 800mm annually. The soils in this region, particularly in the Glenroy and Morinish areas, are often fertile cracking clays (Vertosols) or texture-contrast soils derived from volcanic or alluvial origins, which historically supported Brigalow or Eucalypt woodlands before being cleared for grazing.

AgriProve Solutions Pty Ltd acts as the project proponent, with Imogen Hickey listed as a participant. While AgriProve is most widely recognized as Australia's leading developer of soil carbon projects, this project demonstrates their involvement in vegetation methods as well. The planting activities are designed to reintegrate native flora into the landscape, potentially offering co-benefits such as shade for livestock and improved biodiversity connectivity in an area dominated by grazing properties.