Cooksvale East Reforestation Project

Cooksvale East Reforestation Project is an environmental planting project located at 511 Cooksvale Road in Peelwood, approximately 55km from Crookwell in the Upper Lachlan Shire of New South Wales. It was registered in May 2025 and initially covers 222.11 hectares across the property, with a subsequent variation adding extra project areas later that year.

Environmental planting projects operating under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) 2024 methodology involve establishing and maintaining permanent plantings of mixed native species. The standard requirements for this methodology dictate planting trees at a density and spacing that will eventually achieve a forest cover, typically defined as reaching at least 2 metres in height and providing at least 20% crown cover across the land.

The Peelwood and Crookwell regions are traditionally known for sheep and cattle grazing on mixed farming operations. The Cooksvale East property sits in a high rainfall zone, receiving an average of approximately 764 mm annually. The local environment features productive creek flats along the Cooksvale Creek and steep timbered hills, supported by granite-derived brown, yellow, and red sandy loam soils.

This project aims to closely mirror the local ecosystem by establishing native tree and shrub species that reflect the structure and composition of the natural native vegetation community. Beyond carbon sequestration, these permanent plantings have the potential to improve local biodiversity and provide natural shelter for the property's cattle breeding operations. In November 2025, the project proponent was formally varied from Fresh Earth Agriculture Pty Ltd to Highline Credit Partners Pty Ltd as Trustee for the Red Hill Trust.