Whirrakee Wedderburn

Whirrakee Wedderburn is an environmental planting project located approximately 15 kilometers east of the township of Wedderburn in the Loddon Shire of central Victoria. Registered in May 2013, the project covers roughly 103 hectares of land that was previously used for agriculture, specifically cropping or grazing, for at least five years prior to the project's commencement. The site is situated about 75 kilometers northwest of the major regional city of Bendigo.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings - FullCAM methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species, such as the local "Whirrakee Wattle" (Acacia williamsonii) or other eucalypts endemic to the Victorian Goldfields region. The primary objective is to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by growing a forest that has the potential to reach at least 2 meters in height and 20% canopy cover. Unlike commercial forestry, these plantings are permanent and not intended for harvest, often requiring a stocking density sufficient to ensure survival and canopy closure in the local conditions, typically exceeding 200 stems per hectare.

The Wedderburn region is characterized by a semi-arid to dry temperate climate, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 420mm to 470mm. The landscape is part of the Victorian wheatbelt and Goldfields, where land use is predominantly mixed farming, including sheep grazing and cereal cropping. The soils in this area are generally variable, often consisting of texture-contrast duplex soils with clay subsoils and loamy topsoils, which can be prone to erosion if vegetation cover is removed.

This project is managed by Greenfleet Australia, a prominent non-profit environmental organization. Greenfleet is known for planting biodiverse native forests rather than monocultures to restore ecosystems and create wildlife habitat. The name "Whirrakee" likely references the local wattle species or the traditional Dja Dja Wurrung name associated with the area's flora.