Boundary Bend Olives Reforestation Project (BBE)

Boundary Bend Olives Reforestation Project (BBE) is an environmental planting project located in the locality of Boundary Bend, approximately 50km southeast of Robinvale and 90km northwest of the major regional centre of Swan Hill in Victoria. Registered in May 2022, the project covers a total area of 547.41 hectares. The site sits within the Victorian Mallee region, an area historically dominated by dryland grazing and cropping, but which has become a significant hub for irrigated horticulture, particularly almonds and olives, along the Murray River corridor.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology. This method involves establishing permanent native forests on land that has been clear of forest for at least five years, typically replacing marginal agricultural land with native vegetation. To generate credits, the project must plant local native species, specifically Mallee eucalypts and mixed woodland species in this instance, at a density sufficient to achieve forest canopy cover. Carbon abatement is calculated using the FullCAM computer model, which estimates the biomass stored in the trees and debris over time.

Environmental conditions in the Boundary Bend region are semi-arid, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool winters with an average annual rainfall of approximately 300mm to 350mm. The landscape is defined by its distinctive geology, featuring calcareous sandy loams and red earth soils often found on east-west dune systems. These free-draining, sandy soils are naturally suited to the Mallee vegetation being restored, which is adapted to survive the low-rainfall environment.

This project is a strategic initiative by Boundary Bend Olives Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Australia's largest olive oil producer, Cobram Estate Olives. Implemented in partnership with The Carbon Farming Foundation (CFF), the project utilizes a "farmer-led" model to plant native vegetation on land parcels that are unsuitable for olive cultivation. Beyond carbon sequestration, the project has explicit biodiversity goals, including the restoration of habitat for the threatened Malleefowl, which has been highlighted in the company's sustainability reporting.