Aire River Restoration Project

Aire River Restoration Project is a Reforestation by Environmental Plantings project located near the Aire River in the Otway Ranges, Victoria, approximately 30km north-west of Apollo Bay and just south-west of the Beech Forest township. It was registered on February 12, 2026, and initially covers an area of 263.90 hectares, with a recent variation on May 5, 2026, that added further areas to the project footprint.

Environmental planting projects involve establishing and maintaining a permanent mix of native tree and shrub species that are local to the planting area. Under this methodology, the species mix is chosen to reflect the structure and composition of the local native vegetation community. These projects typically mandate a minimum stocking density of at least 200 stems per hectare to ensure permanent forest cover and effective carbon sequestration.

The Otway Ranges region is heavily forested and classified as a high-rainfall area, regularly receiving between 1,200mm and 2,000mm of rain annually. The soils in this rugged coastal and mountainous terrain are predominantly fertile loams, deep earths, and gradational texture soils such as Dermosols, which provide ideal conditions for wet forest ecosystems. Regional land use is a diverse mix of natural conservation within the adjacent Great Otway National Park, public water catchment management, forestry plantations, and some agricultural grazing.

Spearheaded by Barwon Region Water Corporation, this restoration initiative was established on previously cleared land to serve multiple environmental purposes. Beyond sequestering an estimated 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years to help Barwon Water achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, the project aims to put up to 80,000 native plants into the ground to enhance local biodiversity and protect the water quality of the Aire River catchment. The site will provide new, locally sourced habitat for up to 35 threatened plant and animal species. Furthermore, local nurseries and the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation's Country Guardians have been engaged to assist with the growing of tube stock and ongoing land management works on Eastern Maar Country.