Tambellup Noongar Farm Carbon Restoration Project

Tambellup Noongar Farm Carbon Restoration Project is an environmental planting project located approximately 2km northwest of the town of Tambellup in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Registered in July 2023, the project covers roughly 329 hectares of land previously utilized for agriculture. The surrounding Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup is a significant agricultural hub, predominantly characterized by mixed farming operations involving sheep grazing and cereal cropping, particularly wheat and barley.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings, FullCAM) Methodology Determination 2014. This methodology involves establishing permanent mixed-species native plantings on land that has been clear of forest cover for at least five years. To generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the plantings must be established at a density sufficient to achieve "forest cover," which typically requires a potential canopy cover of at least 20% and a height of 2 metres.

Environmentally, the region experiences a Mediterranean climate defined by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 480mm. The local soil profiles generally consist of sandy loams over clay subsoils, a duplex soil structure common in the Western Australian wheatbelt that can be susceptible to salinity issues in lower-lying areas.

A notable aspect of this project is its strong focus on Indigenous engagement and ecological restoration. It is a recipient of funding from the Western Australian Government’s Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program (Round 2) and serves as a demonstration of how carbon farming can support the Noongar community. The project is situated adjacent to the Gordon River and aims to deliver co-benefits such as salinity mitigation and biodiversity improvements alongside carbon sequestration.