Fresh Earth Agriculture - Cooksale West Reforestation Project

Fresh Earth Agriculture - Cooksale West Reforestation Project is an environmental planting project located in the Upper Lachlan Shire, approximately 55km north of Crookwell near Peelwood in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. It was registered in December 2025 and initially covered 119.24 hectares, with a subsequent variation in May 2026 adding further land to the project area.

Environmental planting projects under the 2024 Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM methodology involve establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species. To meet standard Carbon Farming Initiative requirements, these plantings are typically established at a density of at least 200 stems per hectare to achieve a forest cover of at least 20% crown canopy and a height of two metres. The project utilizes the FullCAM model to estimate carbon abatement over its nominated 25-year permanence period.

The Upper Lachlan and Crookwell region is traditionally known for extensive agricultural operations, primarily sheep and cattle grazing. The area benefits from a cool-climate, high-rainfall environment typical of the Southern Tablelands. Soils in this region generally consist of duplex clays, with patches of highly productive basalt-derived soils that support local pasture improvement and grazing.

The project proponent, Cooksvale West Pty Ltd, established this site with a mix of species designed to reflect the structure and composition of the local native vegetation community. Interestingly, the official project registry spells the project name as "Cooksale West," which appears to be a typographical error for "Cooksvale" given the proponent's trust name and the local Cooksvale Road geographical feature. Surrounding properties in the Cooksvale area are increasingly being marketed for their diverse land use potential, explicitly highlighting biodiversity conservation and carbon project opportunities alongside traditional farming.