Sunnyside Biodiversity Project

Sunnyside Biodiversity Project is an environmental planting initiative located near the small rural community of Wellstead, approximately 100 kilometers northeast of Albany in Western Australia. Registered in July 2023, the project covers approximately 232 hectares of land situated within the Shire of Cranbrook or City of Albany boundary areas, just north of the Stirling Range National Park. The project operates on the "Sunnyside" property, which is part of the ambitious Gondwana Link ecological corridor, aiming to reconnect fragmented habitats across southwestern Australia.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of mixed native tree species on land that was previously cleared and used for agricultural purposes, such as cropping or grazing, for at least five years prior to commencement. To generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the planting must be established at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover, typically requiring at least 200 stems per hectare, and must be maintained permanently for a period of 100 years.

The Wellstead region is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and dry, warm summers. The average annual rainfall is generally between 400mm and 500mm, placing it in a medium rainfall zone that supports both broadacre farming and native vegetation. The local terrain typically features duplex soils, often consisting of sandy loam or ironstone gravels overlying clay or reticulite subsoils. These "sandplain" soils are common in the Great Southern agricultural region and can be susceptible to issues like salinity if deep-rooted vegetation is removed.

This project is a collaboration involving the proponent Forever Carbon Corridors Pty Ltd, Carbon Neutral, and Gondwana Link. It is one of multiple carbon initiatives on the Sunnyside property; while this specific project (ERF179772) focuses on revegetating cleared land, a separate registered project on the same property focuses on transitioning an existing timber plantation into a permanent conservation forest. The site is noted for its high biodiversity value, reportedly hosting over 300 species of native flora and threatened ecological communities.