Iwatani Forests Carbon Farming Project

Iwatani Forests Carbon Farming Project is a plantation forestry project located near Nannup in the South West region of Western Australia, approximately 280km south of Perth. It was registered in September 2023 and covers an area of 84.18 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects under the 2022 methodology involve sequestering carbon by establishing new plantation forests or converting existing short-rotation plantations to long-rotation plantations, intended for the commercial harvesting of wood products.

The Nannup area is well known for timber milling, beef cattle grazing, and horticulture. The region experiences a Mediterranean climate with a high average annual rainfall of over 900mm. The local soils are typically characterised by lateritic gravelly sandy loams and red loams.

This project sequesters carbon by establishing and maintaining a new plantation forest, as well as extending the harvest cycle of an existing short-rotation forest. Interestingly, the proponent, Iwatani Forests Pty Ltd, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese Iwatani Corporation. The parent company also operates significant mineral sands mining and processing assets throughout Western Australia through its Doral Mineral Sands subsidiaries.