PROJECTS

Repentance Creek

At Repentance Creek, multiple project's began with a landscape heavily altered by invasive woody weeds such as Camphor laurel Camphora officinarum syn.Cinnamomum camphora, where native rainforest structure and regeneration had been largely suppressed. Years of dominance by Camphor Laurel, Small- and Large-leaved Privet Ligustrum sinense, L. lucidum, Madeira Vine Anredera cordifolia, Green Cestrum Cestrum nocturnum, and Wild Tobacco Solanum mauritianum had reduced biodiversity and altered natural processes.

Restoration works focused on the careful, staged removal of these high-impact species to allow native regeneration to recover naturally. This approach was essential due to the presence of threatened plant species, requiring sensitive on-ground decision-making and site-specific management.

Species protected and managed on site include Throny pea Desmodium cantacladium (Vulnerable), Red Bopple Nut Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia, and critically endangered species such as Scrub turpentine Rhodamnia rubescens, Native guava Rhodomyrtus psidioides, and Arrow-head Vine Tinospora tinosporoides. By reducing competition and protecting regeneration zones, the project is steadily restoring ecological complexity and resilience within the landscape.

Upper Coopers Creek 

Spanning 800 acres and adjoining Goonengary National Park, the Upper Coopers Creek project represents landscape-scale conservation with deep ecological and cultural significance. The property also contains important cultural heritage values. Restoration activities include extensive riparian restoration and Camphor Laurel conversion, aimed at re-establishing native rainforest structure and improving connectivity with surrounding conservation land. The property supports a range of threatened plant species, including Southern Ochrosia Ochrosia moorei, Red Bopple Nut Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia, Smooth Davidson Plum Davidsonia johnsonii, and Southern Quassia Samadera sp. Mt Nardi, alongside significant fauna such as the Spotted Quoll Dasyurus maculatus and Superb Lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae. Protecting habitat for these species underpins all management decisions on site.

This project reflects a long-term commitment to restoring ecosystem integrity while recognising the layered cultural, environmental, and biodiversity values of the Northern Rivers landscape.

Corndale 

​This Corndale cattle property highlights the importance of integrating conservation into productive grazing landscapes. Restoration efforts have focused on riparian zones, recognising their critical role in water quality, habitat connectivity, and landscape stability.

Works included riparian restoration and ongoing maintenance of earlier revegetation efforts, ensuring young plantings continue to establish and mature. Bangalow palm planting was undertaken to enhance koala habitat and strengthen wildlife corridors across the property.

In grazing areas, Tropical Soda Apple was actively managed to reduce its spread and impact on both stock and native vegetation. Through careful planning, the project demonstrates how agricultural land can support biodiversity while remaining functional and productive.

Pearce's Creek

This Pierce’s Creek macadamia farm tells the story of a working landscape learning to heal alongside production. When management began, erosion through gullies and persistent weed pressure were threatening both soil stability and surrounding native vegetation. Restoration works focused on stabilising gullies, controlling invasive species, and improving long-term land resilience rather than short-term fixes.

An integrated approach was adopted, including erosion control works and targeted weed removal to protect waterways and reduce further land degradation. To address introduced rat species impacting both crops and native fauna, an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy was implemented, incorporating the installation of owl nest boxes to encourage natural predation and restore ecological balance.

Importantly, the property supports rare and threatened plant species, including Cupaniopsis flagelliformis and Rhodamnia rubescens. All works were carefully staged to protect these species while improving overall ecosystem function, demonstrating how productive agriculture and conservation outcomes can coexist when land is managed with ecological understanding.

Goonengary

This 40-acre site at Goonengary forms part of a broader Landcare-led restoration project, where multiple neighbouring landholders are working collectively to improve ecological outcomes across the landscape. Situated on a western-facing slope and adjoining Goonengary National Park, the property plays an important role in buffering protected areas and strengthening habitat connectivity.

Restoration works have focused on Camphor Laurel conversion, alongside the control of persistent understorey weeds that suppress native regeneration. Follow-up weed control has been a critical component of the project, ensuring initial works translate into lasting ecological change rather than short-term gains. To support long-term forest structure and resilience, mature-phase diversity plantings were introduced, helping re-establish canopy complexity and species composition consistent with surrounding native rainforest communities.

This project demonstrates the value of coordinated, cross-property restoration, where individual sites contribute to broader conservation outcomes at a landscape scale.

Teven

Project at a 60-acre lifestyle property at Teven. Thoughtful land management restoring ecological function while maintaining productive cattle grazing. The focus of the project has been the recovery of riparian zones, recognising their importance for water quality, bank stability, and habitat connectivity.

Works began with fencing off riparian areas to exclude cattle and allow natural regeneration to occur. To support ongoing grazing operations and reduce pressure on waterways, off-stream watering troughs were installed, providing practical infrastructure that benefits both stock management and environmental outcomes. Targeted riparian plantings were undertaken to accelerate canopy development and stabilise degraded sections of creekline.

Ongoing weed control and follow-up maintenance have been essential to support regeneration and prevent reinvasion of high-impact species. The site also supports rare and threatened plant species, including Archidendron hendersonii (White Lace Flower), Arrow-head Vine (Tinospora tinosporoides), and Austrocallerya australis. All restoration activities were carefully planned and staged to protect these species while improving overall ecosystem health.

This project highlights the role that lifestyle and grazing properties can play in regional conservation, where practical land-use decisions contribute directly to healthier waterways and more resilient landscapes.