Wide Open Agriculture Regenerative Tree Farmer Project

Wide Open Agriculture Regenerative Tree Farmer Project (formerly the Paraway Tree Project) is a permanent mixed-species environmental planting project located across multiple aggregated sites spanning the South West, Great Southern, and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia. The properties range from near Dalwallinu (250km north of Perth) down to Mount Barker (360km southeast of Perth). It was registered in May 2022 and covers a total project area of 8,494.29 hectares.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM methodology. This type of project involves establishing permanent mixed-species native plantings on land that has been predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to commencement. Typically, environmental plantings require tree stems to be planted at a sufficient density to reach a forest cover standard, meaning a minimum of 200 stems per hectare, with the potential to reach at least two metres in height and provide at least 20 percent crown cover.

Because the project spans multiple distinct regions across Western Australia, the regional land uses and environmental conditions vary significantly. The Wheatbelt, South West, and Great Southern areas are predominantly utilized for broadacre agriculture, including wheat and canola cropping, as well as sheep and cattle grazing. Rainfall ranges from high winter rainfall in the southern coastal and forested regions (characterized by loamy and lateritic gravel soils) to moderate and semi-arid conditions in the northern Wheatbelt sites (which often feature sandy and clay soils).

The project is a partnership between Wide Open Agriculture Ltd and Wyloo Pastoral Co. Pty Ltd, and it is facilitated by The Carbon Farming Foundation Ltd acting as the project agent. The initiative has undergone several variations since its inception, including a name change from the Paraway Tree Project in early 2024, as well as the addition and removal of project land areas over time. These periodic variations in land area are typical for large, aggregated carbon farming initiatives as agricultural partners join or exit the program.