Yimba Biodiversity Project

The Yimba Biodiversity Project is a significant environmental planting initiative located in the Shire of Chapman Valley, approximately 100km north-east of Geraldton in Western Australia. Registered in June 2022, the project covers a substantial area of 3,418 hectares. The region is situated in the Mid West's "Wheatbelt," an area historically dominated by broadacre agriculture, specifically cropping and grazing. The property itself was predominantly used for agriculture for at least five years prior to the project's commencement but is now transitioning back to native vegetation.

This project operates under the "Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings" methodology. This method involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species on land that was previously cleared. The goal is to achieve forest cover, typically defined by a potential height of at least 2 meters and canopy cover of 20%. To ensure survival and rapid establishment, projects of this type generally utilize a mix of direct seeding and seedling planting at densities sufficient to overcome local environmental challenges.

The environmental context of the site is characterized by a semi-arid to Mediterranean climate, receiving an average annual rainfall of around 350mm. The terrain features gently sloping to flat landscapes with soils described as a mixture of yellow sands, red fine sands over calcrete, and red loams. These soil types, while historically used for wheat, are well-suited to the native York and Salmon gum woodlands that originally covered the area before clearing began in the early 1900s.

A notable feature of the Yimba Biodiversity Project is its inclusion in the wider Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor, Australia’s largest biodiverse reforestation carbon sink. Managed by Carbon Neutral Pty Ltd, the project emphasizes high biodiversity, planting over 70 different native species rather than a monoculture. The project is protected by a 100-year carbon covenant and has been associated with Gold Standard certification, highlighting its contribution to global sustainable development goals beyond just carbon sequestration.