Weelhamby Reforestation Project

The Weelhamby Reforestation Project is a significant environmental planting initiative located in the Mid West region of Western Australia, approximately 25 kilometers northeast of the township of Perenjori. Registered in March 2022, the project encompasses a massive project area boundary of 5,561 hectares, which covers the entirety of the "Weelhamby" mixed-farming aggregation. While the registered area is large, the specific planting activities involve establishing strategic shelterbelts and blocks of native vegetation (approximately 230 hectares initially) within the active wheat and sheep farming landscape.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology (FullCAM), which facilitates the planting of native tree and shrub species to sequester carbon. For Weelhamby, the design is highly specific: it focuses on creating wildlife corridors that connect 1,500 hectares of existing remnant vegetation with surrounding nature reserves. The planting density and species mix, over 40 biodiverse native species, are selected not only to generate carbon credits (ACCUs) but also to provide critical habitat for threatened fauna like the Mallee fowl and to offer shelter for livestock.

Environmentally, the region is characterized as semi-arid with a low average annual rainfall of approximately 300mm. The terrain features the "red dirt" typical of the northern Wheatbelt, primarily red loams and sandy loams. This environment presents a challenge for reforestation, making the project a notable test case for the viability of carbon farming in low-rainfall zones.

A unique aspect of this project is its role as a demonstration site for the "do-it-yourself" (DIY) carbon farming model championed by The Carbon Farming Foundation. Rather than locking up the land entirely for conservation, the project integrates trees into a productive broadacre farm to improve soil health and reduce wind erosion. It was also one of the first recipients of the Western Australian State Government's Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program (CF-LRP) funding.