Peats Ridge Spring Source

Peats Ridge Spring Source is an environmental planting project located in the rural locality of Peats Ridge, situated approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Gosford and 60 kilometers north of Sydney on the New South Wales Central Coast. Registered in July 2025, the project covers a project area of 24.76 hectares. The Peats Ridge region is situated on a sandstone plateau and is traditionally characterized by a mix of intensive horticulture, specifically citrus and stone fruit orchards, poultry farming, and natural spring water extraction, interspersed with remnant native sclerophyll forest.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM 2024 methodology. This carbon farming method involves establishing permanent native vegetation by planting a mix of local tree and shrub species at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover (typically requiring potential for 20% crown cover and 2 meters in height). As the proponent is Landcare Australia Limited, this project likely emphasizes biodiversity co-benefits alongside carbon sequestration, restoring native habitat to support local fauna.

Environmentally, the project is situated in a high rainfall zone, with the plateau receiving significant precipitation which recharges the area's extensive aquifers. The soils in this region are typically deep sandy loams and yellow earths derived from the Hawkesbury Sandstone; these soils are well-drained and ideal for filtering spring water, a key resource implied by the project's name. The activities involve maintaining this mixed-species planting to protect the catchment and sequester carbon in the woody biomass.