Woodside Native Reforestation Project - Phase 1

Woodside Native Reforestation Project - Phase 1 is an environmental planting project located in the Cranbrook and Kent Shires of Western Australia, approximately 90 to 150 km north of the major regional city of Albany. It was registered in February 2020 and covers 2,945.76 ha. The Great Southern and Wheatbelt regions where the project is situated are predominantly used for broadacre dryland agriculture, heavily featuring sheep grazing and winter cropping of wheat, barley, and canola.

Environmental planting projects under the FullCAM methodology involve establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species. To comply with the methodology's standard requirements and generate carbon credits, these projects must achieve forest cover, meaning the trees must be planted at a sufficient density and configuration to reach at least 2 metres in height and provide a minimum of 20% canopy cover at maturity.

The Cranbrook and Kent areas typically experience a Mediterranean to semi-arid climate, characterized by low to medium winter-dominant rainfall averaging between 350mm and 500mm annually. Soils in these agricultural regions generally consist of sandy loams, lateritic gravels, and duplex soils featuring sand over a clay base.

This project establishes permanent, mixed-species native plantings on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to project commencement. The tree species chosen are all native to the local area. As part of a massive multi-phase reforestation strategy across Western Australia (spanning at least 11 phases), Woodside employs full-time carbon farm managers to maintain these properties. Because the project sites sit within agricultural areas prone to hot, dry summer months, fire management is a major priority. Woodside implements comprehensive Bushfire Management Plans (BMPs) in consultation with fire experts and local councils to protect both the community and the carbon stored in the permanent plantings. In August 2023, the proponent name was officially varied on the register from Woodside Energy Ltd to Woodside Energy Carbon (Services) Pty Ltd.