Western Treefarm Project phase 1

Western Treefarm Project phase 1 is a plantation forestry project located in the South West region of Western Australia, spanning areas approximately 40 to 50km southeast of Collie, primarily within the Shires of Boyup Brook and West Arthur. It was registered on February 24, 2022, and currently covers a project area of 1864.88 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects of this methodology type involve converting an existing short-rotation plantation forest (typically harvested early for woodchips) into a long-rotation plantation. By extending the growth period before commercial harvesting, the trees sequester and securely store significantly more carbon in their woody biomass. The standard methodology requires maintaining commercial stocking densities and utilizing the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM) to estimate the carbon abatement over the project's lifespan.

The surrounding South West region of Western Australia is highly productive and widely known for a mix of sheep and cattle grazing, broadacre cropping, and extensive commercial timber operations. The area experiences a Mediterranean climate characterized by reliable, moderate to high winter rainfall, with soils predominantly consisting of lateritic ironstone gravels, sandy loams, and clay loams over clay.

Since its registration, the project has undergone several variations, including updates to the project area in 2023 and 2024 to add new land, as well as a transition from the 2017 to the updated 2022 Plantation Forestry Methodology Determination. The project is managed by Mitsui & Co. Wood Resources Oceania Pty Ltd (MWO), a major player in the Australian forestry supply chain. Interestingly, Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by this specific phase 1 project have been purchased and retired by the University of Adelaide as part of their strategy to offset directly controlled operations and achieve net-zero emissions.