CO2 Australia Creating a Better Climate Project

CO2 Australia Creating a Better Climate Project is a reforestation project dispersed across the Central West and Riverina regions of New South Wales. While the project area is aggregated across multiple local government areas including Bland, Parkes, and Narrandera, specific project sites identified by coordinates are located approximately 15km northeast of Condobolin and 40km southeast of West Wyalong. Registered in March 2014, the project operates on land previously used for agricultural purposes, specifically grazing and cropping.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM) Methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species, specifically Eucalyptus loxophleba (York Gum) and Eucalyptus polybractea (Blue Mallee), to sequester carbon. As a "FullCAM" project, the carbon abatement is calculated using the Australian Government's Full Carbon Accounting Model software rather than direct physical measurement, estimating the biomass growth based on species, location, and management data.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid to sub-humid climate, typically receiving between 450mm and 550mm of annual rainfall. The landscape consists of flat to gently undulating plains with soils that are predominantly red earths (kandosols) and clays (chromosols), which are well-suited to the hardy Mallee eucalyptus species planted. These distinct multi-stemmed trees are highly adapted to the dry conditions and historical salinity issues often found in this agricultural belt.

An interesting aspect of this project is its corporate lineage. Originally registered as the "Green State Power Forest Sequestration Project," it was associated with Delta Electricity and Green State Power, entities linked to NSW state-owned power generation. This suggests the project was initially conceived to offset emissions from the energy sector before transitioning to the current proponent, Carbon Estate Pty Ltd, in 2016. The project successfully completed a carbon abatement contract (CAC304660) with the Australian Government in 2021.