Kooyong Biodiversity Project

Kooyong Biodiversity Project is an environmental planting project located at the "Kooyong" property in Tenindewa, approximately 25km northwest of Mullewa and 80km northeast of Geraldton in Western Australia. Registered in May 2022, the project covers a substantial area of 1,737 hectares. The site sits within the Shire of Chapman Valley and the City of Greater Geraldton, a region historically dominated by broadacre cereal cropping and sheep grazing.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species, such as York gum (Eucalyptus loxophleba) and Acacia, on land that was previously cleared for agriculture. To meet the methodology's requirements, the planting must occur at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover (generally defined as 20% crown cover and a height of at least 2 meters) or mallee cover, ensuring a permanent carbon sink.

Situated in the Northern Wheatbelt, the area experiences a semi-arid climate with transitional rainfall. The local environment is characterized by red loam and red sandy soils, which are typical of the region's "sandplain" country. This project is a key component of the wider "Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor," a strategic initiative by the proponent, Carbon Neutral Pty Ltd, to reconnect fragmented habitats in a global biodiversity hotspot.

A notable feature of the Kooyong Biodiversity Project is its frontage to the Greenough River, where revegetation efforts aim to create vital wildlife corridors connecting to remnant vegetation. The project is also distinct in its "integrated" approach; while the majority of the land is dedicated to biodiverse reforestation, the proponent has designed the project to retain some high-quality arable land for continued sustainable farming, demonstrating a coexistence model between carbon farming and traditional agriculture.