Blue-Leafed Mallee Project A

Blue-Leafed Mallee Project A is a reforestation project located in the Lachlan Shire of Central West New South Wales, likely near the town of Condobolin. Registered in March 2013, the project operates on land previously utilized for agricultural purposes, specifically grazing or cropping. While the exact area size is not publicly disclosed due to partial suppression of details, registry data indicates the project spans three specific parcels of land and has secured a significant carbon abatement contract with the Australian Government.

The project utilizes the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of Eucalyptus polybractea (Blue-Leafed Mallee), a species native to the region and highly effective at sequestering carbon in its root system (lignotuber). Under this method, trees are planted at densities sufficient to form a forest cover, modeled using the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM) to estimate carbon storage over time.

The Lachlan Shire region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 450mm. The landscape typically features flat to undulating plains with red earth and clay loam soils, which are ideal conditions for mallee species. The region's primary land use is dryland broadacre cropping and livestock grazing, making the integration of carbon forestry a diversification strategy for local landholders.

Notably, the project is managed by CO2 Australia, a prominent carbon service provider, through the proponent Blue-Leafed Mallee Pty Ltd. In October 2015, the Clean Energy Regulator issued a notice requiring the relinquishment of 6,237 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) from this project, a mechanism often triggered by a loss of carbon stocks (e.g., due to fire or drought) or a re-calculation of abatement. Despite this, the project has actively generated credits and holds a Carbon Abatement Contract for over 220,000 tonnes of abatement.