Biodiverse Carbon Conservation Nowanup (Revoked)

Biodiverse Carbon Conservation Nowanup (Revoked) was an environmental planting project located at the "Nowanup" property in Gairdner, Western Australia, approximately 150km northeast of Albany. Registered in July 2015 and covering a significant area of roughly 763 hectares, the project was situated within the ecologically vital "Fitz-Stirling" section of the Gondwana Link, a landscape-scale initiative connecting the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River National Parks.

The project operated under the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) using the 2012 Reforestation Modelling Tool methodology. This method involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species (mallee eucalypts and shrubs) on land previously cleared for agriculture. The standard requirement for such projects is to maintain a stocking density sufficient to achieve forest cover (typically at least 200 stems per hectare) and ensure the plantings remain permanent for up to 100 years.

The Gairdner region typically experiences a Mediterranean-type climate with a semi-arid influence, receiving annual rainfall between 400mm and 500mm. The soils in this area are generally sandy duplexes and gravelly loams, characteristic of the Western Australian sandplains. Historically, the land use in this district was predominantly sheep farming and cropping, which led to extensive clearing before restoration efforts began.

A key feature of this project is its location on Nowanup, a property of immense cultural and ecological significance. While the carbon project itself was revoked in August 2017 under Section 33 of the CFI Act (a voluntary revocation), the physical restoration of the land has continued successfully. Nowanup is a flagship site for Greening Australia and the local Noongar community, serving as a hub for "Healing Country, Healing People" programs led by Elder Eugene Eades. The revocation indicates that while the specific carbon credit registration with the proponent "Australian Integrated Carbon Financial Services Pty Ltd" ceased, the trees and the conservation value of the site remain intact and actively managed.