Nortongong Biodiversity Restoration Project

Nortongong Biodiversity Restoration Project is an environmental planting project located near Coonamble, approximately 160km north of Dubbo in central-western New South Wales. It was registered in May 2025 and covers 4,597.64 hectares.

Environmental planting projects under the Carbon Farming Initiative involve establishing and maintaining a permanent mixed-species environmental planting. Under this methodology, native trees and shrubs are typically planted at a density and arrangement that allows them to reach at least two meters in height and achieve a minimum of 20% crown cover over the land. For this project, the species mix specifically reflects the structure and composition of the local native vegetation community.

The Coonamble region's land use is primarily dominated by broadacre dryland cropping and livestock grazing, including sheep and beef cattle. The environment features a semi-arid climate with typical annual rainfall around 400mm to 500mm. The soils in this area are largely well-structured Vertosols (cracking clays) and red Chromosols, which provide a strong foundation for both high-yield agriculture and establishing native woodlands.

The project is run by Wilga Farming (Australia) Pty Ltd, an agricultural platform managed by Gunn Agri Partners and backed by a $200 million investment that includes funds from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). This project serves as part of their broader strategy to integrate sustainable food production with natural capital assets. Additionally, public records indicate that a variation to the project area occurred on November 13, 2025, which removed certain land parcels from the registered boundaries.