Carbon Positive Biodiverse Plantings

Carbon Positive Biodiverse Plantings is an aggregated environmental planting project operated by the charity Carbon Positive Australia. Registered in June 2021, the project covers approximately 2,170 hectares across widely dispersed properties in Western Australia and New South Wales. The project sites are located in three distinct geographical clusters: the Mid West region of WA (specifically Eurardy Reserve, roughly 50km north of Northampton), the Great Southern region of WA (near Cranbrook and the Stirling Range, approx. 40km-80km north of Albany), and the Northern Rivers region of NSW (near Nimbin, approx. 30km north of Lismore).

The project utilizes the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology, which involves establishing permanent native vegetation on land previously cleared for agriculture. Under this method, the proponent must plant species native to the local area at densities sufficient to achieve forest cover (typically requiring at least 200 stems per hectare). The carbon abatement is calculated using the FullCAM model, which estimates biomass growth based on location-specific data rather than direct physical measurement of every tree.

Due to the vast distance between sites, the environmental conditions vary dramatically. The Western Australian sites in the Mid West and Great Southern regions typically experience a Mediterranean to semi-arid climate with sandy loams or gravelly duplex soils, often associated with broadacre cropping and sheep grazing. These areas are frequently targeted for restoration to combat salinity and erosion. Conversely, the Nimbin site in NSW sits within a subtropical, high-rainfall zone known for volcanic clay soils and lush vegetation, where land use often includes horticulture and cattle grazing.

Carbon Positive Australia (formerly the Carbon Neutral Charitable Fund) is a registered charity that funds these restoration activities through public and corporate donations. A notable aspect of this project is its focus on "high-integrity" co-benefits; for instance, the Eurardy Reserve site involves a partnership with Bush Heritage Australia to restore habitat for local fauna, while other sites in the Great Southern region often aim to create wildlife corridors connecting fragmented bushland.