Pine Ridge Biodiversity Project (Revoked)

The Pine Ridge Biodiversity Project (Revoked) was a large-scale environmental planting project located in the Shire of Perenjori, approximately 30 kilometers northeast of the town of Perenjori in the Mid West region of Western Australia. Registered in April 2014, the project covered a significant area of 2,238 hectares on land that had previously been cleared for agricultural use. The surrounding region is traditionally dominated by broadacre wheat cropping and sheep grazing, although it is often classified as marginal farming land due to the challenging climatic conditions.

The project operated under the Carbon Farming (Quantifying Carbon Sequestration by Permanent Environmental Plantings of Native Tree Species using the CFI Reforestation Modelling Tool) Methodology Determination 2012. This methodology involves establishing permanent forest cover using native tree species to sequester carbon. In the case of Pine Ridge, the proponent, Auscarbon Pty Ltd, implemented a biodiverse planting model, introducing a mix of over thirty endemic, drought-resistant species, including various eucalypts and acacias, to replicate the natural vegetation that existed prior to clearing.

Environmentally, the site sits within a semi-arid zone characterized by low and variable rainfall. The soils in this part of the northern wheatbelt are typically ancient, weathered sandy loams or red earths, and portions of the landscape struggle with issues such as salinity and wind erosion. The project was notably part of the broader "Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor," a strategic initiative connecting remnant vegetation patches to create a contiguous habitat for native fauna in a global biodiversity hotspot.

On December 19, 2025, the project was revoked under Section 30 of the CFI Rule. Section 30 typically governs voluntary revocations requested by the project proponent, often occurring when a project is exiting the scheme or if the land is sold and the new owners do not wish to continue the carbon maintenance obligations. As a "biodiverse carbon sink," Pine Ridge was designed not only for carbon abatement but also to improve soil condition and provide resilience against the drying climate of the Western Australian wheatbelt.