Wespine Carbon Plantations

Wespine Carbon Plantations is a commercial Plantation Forestry project located in the South West region of Western Australia. The project area of approximately 2,421 hectares is not a single contiguous block but is comprised of multiple plantation estates dispersed across the region, with key sites situated near the towns of Dardanup, Donnybrook, and Bridgetown. The project's geographic center is roughly 15-20km inland from the major coastal city of Bunbury.

Registered in April 2018, this project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. The project activities include establishing new plantation forests and converting existing short-rotation plantations to long-rotation forests. In this context, "short-to-long" conversion typically involves transitioning land previously used for short-cycle pulpwood (such as Blue Gum) into long-cycle sawlog plantations (typically Pinus radiata), which are managed on a 30-year rotation to produce structural timber. This extended growth period significantly increases the carbon sequestered in the trees compared to shorter harvest cycles.

The South West forestry region is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The area is classified as a high-rainfall zone, with annual precipitation in towns like Donnybrook averaging over 900mm, providing ideal conditions for commercial timber production. The soils in this region are predominantly lateritic gravels and sandy loams found along the Darling Scarp, which are well-suited for softwood plantations.

Wespine Industries, the project proponent, is a major softwood manufacturer based in Dardanup and a joint venture between Wesfarmers and Fletcher Building. This carbon project serves a dual purpose: it generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to support the company's net-zero 2050 target while securing a long-term supply of sawlogs for their Dardanup sawmill. The project has seen active expansion, with multiple variations to add area between 2018 and 2025, and a methodology update in August 2025 to align with the latest regulatory standards.