North Stirling Downs Project

North Stirling Downs Project is an environmental planting project located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, approximately 40km south of Gnowangerup and 100km north of Albany. Registered in July 2020, the project currently covers 198.23 hectares following a variation in September 2024 that removed some of the originally designated project areas. The surrounding region is predominantly used for mixed agricultural operations, specifically broadacre cropping (such as wheat, barley, and canola) alongside Merino sheep grazing.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology. Environmental planting projects involve establishing permanent plantings of a mix of native tree species on land that has been predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to the project's commencement. To successfully achieve forest cover, these methodologies typically require a planting density of at least 200 stems per hectare, ensuring the vegetation can eventually reach a minimum height of two meters and at least 20% crown cover.

The Great Southern region experiences a semi-arid to medium rainfall climate, receiving an average of 350mm of predominantly winter rainfall annually. The area features flat to undulating topography with highly variable soil profiles, ranging from sand to duplex soils, sand over gravel, and patches of red and grey clays.

The project was established by Wayne and Jody Pech on their 13,000-hectare family farm, which they have operated since the 1960s with a strong focus on sustainability and climate resilience. Wayne Pech is a founding member of AgZero2030, an initiative dedicated to helping Western Australian agriculture achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2030. The Pech family committed to an ambitious goal of planting 100 hectares of trees per year over a 10-year period. Notably, they intend to retain the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated from this project to offset their own on-farm emissions, rather than selling them into the market. In August 2025, the project proponent was varied from AgCarbon 2020 Pty Ltd to North Stirling Downs Pty Ltd, officially reflecting the family's direct ownership and control over the carbon project.