Carbon Conscious Carbon Capture Project 1

Carbon Conscious Carbon Capture Project 1 is a Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings project located at multiple properties across the Central and Northern Agricultural Regions of Western Australia, inland from coastal hubs like Geraldton and Perth. It was registered in September 2013 and covers 6,978.91 ha.

Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings projects involve establishing permanent plantings of native tree species (such as mallee eucalypts or mixed-species) on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior. These projects must typically reach a density and growth form that achieves true forest cover, such as 20% crown cover and a height of at least two metres.

The surrounding Western Australian Wheatbelt and Mid West regions are known for broadacre agriculture, primarily dryland wheat cropping and sheep grazing. The area experiences a semi-arid, Mediterranean climate with low to moderate rainfall concentrated in the winter months. The soils typically consist of sandy loams, clay loams, and lateritic profiles, which are often prone to severe dryland salinity, wind, and water erosion due to historic over-clearing.

This large-scale project involved planting over six million native mallee trees between 2009 and 2010 to restore degraded farmland and create a long-term carbon sink. It has a legally bound 100-year permanence period. Interestingly, the project's Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) have been purchased by Australian carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst to help achieve their Climate Active Carbon Neutral certification. Additionally, the project successfully completed its Commonwealth carbon abatement contract (CAC194219) in May 2021, delivering over 110,000 ACCUs to the Australian Government. Originally associated with Alterra Limited, the project is now managed by ACCU Asset Management Pty Ltd.