Wilyun Pools 2022

Wilyun Pools 2022 is a carbon sequestration project located in the Wellstead district of Western Australia, approximately 100 kilometers northeast of the major regional city of Albany. Registered in May 2023, the project covers an area of 259.60 hectares within the broader Wilyun Pools property. The surrounding region of the Great Southern is traditionally utilized for mixed farming operations, particularly sheep grazing and cropping, alongside significant commercial forestry estates, most notably Tasmanian Blue Gum plantations.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it involves the "transition to permanent forest" activity. This requires the proponent to take an existing commercial plantation, which would otherwise be harvested and potentially converted back to non-forested agricultural land, and instead retain the trees permanently. By foregoing harvest, the project ensures the carbon stored in the timber remains sequestered and the forest cover is maintained in perpetuity.

Environmentally, the Wellstead area sits in a transitional rainfall zone, receiving approximately 500–600mm annually, which supports both agricultural staples and native eucalypt species like Marri and River Yate. The soils in this region are typically characterized as sandy loams or duplex soils (sand over clay), often containing gravel.

Wilyun Pools is a high-profile initiative noted for its strong collaborative model involving Carbon Neutral Pty Ltd, Wollemi Capital, and the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories group. The project is part of a "blended finance" model that provides a pathway for the Traditional Owners to eventually assume ownership of the land. Furthermore, the property sits within the Gondwana Link, a significant conservation corridor aimed at reconnecting fragmented ecosystems across southwestern Australia. The project area was previously part of a Blue Gum plantation established in the mid-1990s; rather than harvesting and reverting the land to sheep pasture, the project facilitates its restoration and permanent protection.