Oreen Station Plantation

Oreen Station Plantation is a plantation forestry project located at Oreen Station, near Bellbrook, approximately 45km northwest of Kempsey on the Mid North Coast of NSW. It was registered in April 2025 and covers 202.64 ha.

Plantation forestry projects typically involve establishing new plantations or transitioning existing short-rotation plantations to long-rotation or permanent forests. While standard commercial forestry operations in these areas require stocking densities that often exceed 800 to 1,000 stems per hectare, this specific project focuses on maintaining forest cover. It sequesters carbon by ensuring an existing plantation, which is at risk of being harvested and converted to non-forested land, is instead maintained as a permanent planting in perpetuity.

The Bellbrook and broader Mid North Coast region is heavily utilized for cattle grazing, forestry operations, and rural eco-tourism. The region benefits from a high-rainfall, subtropical climate, while the soils generally consist of highly fertile alluvial deposits along the Macleay River valleys and robust podzolic and clay soils throughout the surrounding ranges.

An interesting note about this project is that the proponent, Nateva Australia (Acacia) Pty Limited, is a subsidiary of Nateva (formerly New Zealand Carbon Farming), a major developer of plantation-based environmental services. Furthermore, the Oreen Station property itself doubles as a secluded eco-tourism destination, offering off-grid campsites to visitors.