Fresh Earth Agriculture - Cooksvale Reforestation Project

Fresh Earth Agriculture - Cooksvale Reforestation Project is an environmental planting project located in the Cooksvale and Peelwood area, approximately 55km north-west of Crookwell in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. It was registered in June 2025 and covers 119.51 hectares, following an October 2025 variation that added new areas to the project.

Environmental planting projects under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology involve establishing permanent plantings of native trees and shrubs, generally planted at a density of at least 200 stems per hectare to achieve a permanent forest canopy. This particular project establishes a mix of local native tree and shrub species that directly reflect the structure and composition of the native vegetation community local to the area.

The Upper Lachlan Shire region is traditionally known for its rural agricultural land use, particularly sheep and cattle grazing, as well as some potato farming and forestry. The environment is considered a high-rainfall zone, typically receiving around 760mm to 850mm annually, and the local soils are generally characterised by granite-derived sandy loams and chromosols.

Interestingly, the proponent, Cooksvale Pty Ltd, also operates a registered soil carbon project, the Fresh Earth Agriculture - Cooksvale Soil Carbon Project, in the same local government area, demonstrating a broader property-level strategy for carbon farming and land regeneration.