Yaloak Estate Carbon Plantings #1 Project (Revoked)

Yaloak Estate Carbon Plantings #1 Project (Revoked) is a Reforestation and Afforestation project located at the historic Yaloak Estate near Ballan, approximately 60km west of Melbourne in Victoria. It was registered in March 2015 and covers an expansive 5741.66 hectares.

Reforestation and Afforestation methodologies involve establishing permanent, non-harvest plantings on cleared land where no forests previously existed, specifically to sequester carbon. This project involved establishing permanent plantings of Eucalyptus cladocalyx and Corymbia maculata trees on land that was previously used for agricultural purposes.

The Ballan region is situated in Victoria's High Rainfall Zone, typically receiving over 500mm of rain annually. The predominant soil type at Yaloak Estate is a duplex sodosol, which consists of a basalt clay-loam topsoil over heavy sodic clay, a soil profile that can be prone to waterlogging. Regionally, this land has a long history of broad-acre livestock grazing and cropping.

Interestingly, the Yaloak Estate was owned by Melbourne businessman and polo benefactor Peter Yunghanns for over 50 years and was home to the renowned Yaloak Polo Club, hosting tournaments attended by prominent figures. The 5071-hectare property was eventually sold to a China-backed agricultural firm in 2020 for an estimated $60 million. The carbon project itself held a Commonwealth contract (CAC597637) for 125,000 ACCUs which was completed in December 2016, and the project was subsequently revoked under section 33 of the CFI Act in March 2017.