Woodside Native Reforestation Project - Phase 1

Woodside Native Reforestation Project - Phase 1 is an environmental planting project located across multiple properties in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, including the 'Sukey Hill' site situated just east of Cranbrook and the 'Cowcher' site located approximately 100km south of Lake Grace. It was registered in February 2020 and covers 2,945.76 hectares.

Environmental planting projects involve planting native trees at a density of at least 200 stems per hectare to achieve permanent forest cover. The methodology dictates that these permanent mixed-species plantings must be established on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to the project's commencement.

The Great Southern region is well known for extensive dryland agricultural operations, primarily broadacre cereal cropping and mixed sheep grazing. The area experiences a Mediterranean climate characterized by hot, dry summers and moderate to low winter rainfall. The local soils are predominantly sandy duplexes, featuring deep and shallow sands over clay layers, often containing ironstone gravel, alongside areas of well-drained loams and salt lake soils.

This reforestation project is part of a broader corporate greenhouse gas abatement initiative by Woodside Energy, which partnered with Greening Australia to plant millions of native trees and shrubs across the region. Due to historical land clearing for agriculture, parts of the local catchment have faced severe soil salinity risks, meaning these extensive native plantings also provide vital ecological restoration benefits to salt-affected landscapes. Additionally, in August 2023, the project proponent formally changed its participant name from Woodside Energy Ltd to Woodside Energy Carbon (Services) Pty Ltd.