Dewing Creek Catchment Restoration Project

The Dewing Creek Catchment Restoration Project is an environmental planting project located in the Otway Ranges, approximately 5km east of the small township of Barwon Downs and about 70km southwest of Geelong in Victoria. Registered in February 2025, the project covers a total area of 191.40 hectares. The site is situated within a high-rainfall water catchment area that was previously cleared for farming and grazing.

This project operates under the "Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings" methodology (2024 Determination). This method involves establishing permanent forest cover using native species indigenous to the local area, typically at a density sufficient to achieve a forest canopy (often requiring at least 400 stems per hectare or substantial canopy cover). For this specific project, the proponent Barwon Water is planting a mix of approximately 86,000 to 100,000 native trees and shrubs, including species such as Prickly Moses, Silver Banksia, Blackwood, and various Eucalypts, to mimic the structure of the local ecological vegetation class.

The region is characterized by a wet, cool-temperate climate typical of the Otway Ranges, with high annual rainfall supporting dense vegetation. The soils in this area are generally fertile, deep clay-loams and earths capable of supporting tall forests. By converting the land from livestock grazing to native forest, the project aims to sequester roughly 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years.

Beyond carbon sequestration, a primary driver for this project is improving water quality for the greater Geelong region. Dewing Creek is a tributary of the Barwon River and a water supply catchment; removing livestock and revegetating the area reduces the risk of pathogens entering the water supply. The project is also part of Barwon Water's target to achieve net zero emissions by 2030 and involves a partnership with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation to incorporate Traditional Owner knowledge into land management.