24 Degree Forest – Rainforest rehabilitation on slopes and riparian zones – Doon Doon

24 Degree Forest – Rainforest rehabilitation on slopes and riparian zones – Doon Doon is an environmental planting project located in the rural locality of Doon Doon, approximately 25km southwest of Murwillumbah in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. It was registered in February 2026 and covers an area of 72.12 hectares. The surrounding region is characterised by small rural landholdings and grazing properties, with historical land uses in the area frequently transitioning from dairy farming to beef cattle operations.

Environmental planting projects involve establishing permanent plantings of a mix of native tree species on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior. These methodologies typically require planting at a density of at least 200 stems per hectare to achieve sustained forest cover.

Situated within the Tweed Valley and the Mount Warning caldera, the Doon Doon area is considered a high-rainfall, sub-tropical environment, often receiving between 1,500mm and 1,700mm of rain annually. The soils in this caldera region are highly fertile, predominantly consisting of basalt-derived soils and clay-rich sedimentary slopes, which are ideally suited for sustaining sub-tropical wet sclerophyll forests and rainforests.

A highly notable feature of this project is its formal overlap with Australia's newly legislated Nature Repair Market (Project ID: NR001018), operating locally as the Karinya Downs Wet Sclerophyll Forest and Rainforest Restoration project. To achieve simultaneous carbon and biodiversity outcomes, the proponent, 24 Degree Forest Pty Ltd, is establishing exceptionally dense mixed-species native plantings of up to 2,500 stems per hectare along steep slopes and riparian zones. This strategy aims to improve habitat connectivity, fire resilience, and local microclimatic temperature buffering, while continuing to operate alongside the productive grazing enterprise. The proponent's broader initiative is also supported by the NSW Government through a High Impact Partnership grant aimed at assisting primary producers with carbon reduction projects.