Greentrees, NSW

Located on Bundjalung Country, this region has been extensively cleared for agricultural purposes and landholders Alex and Kylie purchased this land motivated to make a positive environmental impact. Living on the property with their children Jaime and Erin, Alex reflected that all along they “wanted to create habitat and contribute to the restoration of biodiversity.”

Greenfleet revegetated this property in 2021 and with cattle grazing occurring in surrounding properties, this revegetation work will help reconnect pockets of existing koala habitat. By improving connectivity between the Pelican Flood Reserve and an adjoining quarry Koala Reserve, Greenfleet is also contributing to the expansion and sustainability of key koala populations. 

Greenfleet’s aim is to support the restoration of native forest across the property to increase biodiversity, deliver climate action, and extend habitat for the region’s endangered koalas. 

Location & Map

Located near Lismore in Northern NSW, the council has identified that this property contains particularly important biodiversity values. The planting is located adjacent to land identified as Primary and Secondary Koala Habitat and a priority wildlife corridor where the existing koala population is prolific.

Ecosystem Restoration

Greenfleet’s revegetation carefully researches and selects species that are locally native to the areas in which we are revegetating. This means, we are helping to restore the forest that existed prior to the land being cleared.

The species selected for the protect at Greentrees, will restore the Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) ecological community, which can be found along the coast of Northern New South Wales and into south-east Queensland1. To help maintain and extend this ecosystem, we are planting indigenous species on the flood plains of the property where it naturally occurs.

 

The native forest establishing in part of the revegetation area at Greentrees.
 

More than 20 different locally native species have been chosen for this project including Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca), Prickly-leaf Teatree (Melaleuca stypheloides) and Southern Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) which attracts nectar feeding birds and native bats.  

Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) is another species included in the planting and is an important species for koala habitat and food.  

Building Koala Habitat 

With existing koala populations found in this area, the forest at Greentrees is important in extending habitat for these creatures.  

When Alex and Kylie moved onto the property, they counted at least 15 koalas living in the remnant vegetation on the property and suggest there could be hundreds in the surrounding areas. This population of koalas is also believed to be disease free, making it a key breeding population of the species. 

Of the nearly 4,000 native trees planted at Greentrees, almost half of them are growing to provide food and habitat for koalas. One of the indigenous species, Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), makes up 30% of the trees planted and is a key food source for these iconic animals. 

In 2023, a koala was spotted in one of the Greenfleet trees, demonstrating how quickly ecosystem restoration can benefit the local wildlife.

 

Lismore Flood Impacts

In 2022, widespread flooding in the Northern Rivers impacted homes, people, wildlife, and businesses, particularly in the Lismore area. Alex and Kylie’s property withstood the floods, but the impacts on the community around them are still being felt today.

The forest growing Greentrees was also impacted by this event, with flooding occurring across some of the planted area. The trees endured multiple prolonged inundations in 2022 and months of saturated ground conditions, yet they continue to do well. This demonstrates the resilience of the selected species to suit challenging site conditions.

Climate Action 

As it grows, this forest will also deliver critical climate action by removing carbon from the atmosphere. Over its lifetime, this forest will absorb nearly 13,000 tonnes of CO2-e which is the equivalent of what 3,000 average cars emit on Australia’s roads each year.

References:

1. Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment