CO2 Australia Creating a Better Climate Project

CO2 Australia Creating a Better Climate Project is an environmental and mallee planting project located across multiple sites in the Central West and Riverina regions of New South Wales, with key parcels situated approximately 20km west of West Wyalong and 35km east of Condobolin. The project was registered in March 2014 and spans several local government areas including Bland, Lachlan, Parkes, and Dubbo. While the exact total project area in hectares is suppressed from the public register, it involves multiple land parcels integrated into existing farming operations.

Projects operating under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology involve planting native tree species to establish permanent forest cover. Typically, these plantings must be established at a stocking density sufficient to achieve a forest cover of at least 20% crown cover and reach two meters in height, or adhere to specific planting geometries designed for mallee species.

The Central West and Riverina regions are heavily characterised by traditional agricultural land uses, predominantly dryland cropping (such as wheat and canola) and livestock grazing (sheep and cattle). The environment falls within a semi-arid to temperate transitional zone with moderate rainfall (typically 400-500mm annually), and the landscape is dominated by red-brown earths, clay loams, and sandy loam soils.

Project activities focus on establishing permanent mixed-species environmental plantings and mallee plantings. Specifically, the project uses Eucalyptus loxophleba (York Gum) and Eucalyptus polybractea (Blue Mallee) on land previously degraded by or used for agriculture. These mallee eucalypt species were strategically selected for their high resilience and tolerance to drought, disease, and fire.

Interestingly, this project was originally registered as the "Green State Power Forest Sequestration Project" before undergoing a proponent and name variation in early 2016. The project successfully delivered on a fixed delivery carbon abatement contract (CAC304660) with the Commonwealth, which was completed in December 2021 after supplying 47,000 tonnes of abatement. In addition to government procurement, Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated from this project have been purchased by private entities, including Charles Sturt University, to help meet their Climate Active carbon-neutral certification goals. The plantings also deliver notable co-benefits to the region, including increased on-farm biodiversity, wildlife corridors, and diversified income streams for landholders.