Iwatani Forests Carbon Farming Project

The Iwatani Forests Carbon Farming Project is a plantation forestry project located approximately 6km southeast of the town of Nannup in the South West region of Western Australia. Registered in September 2023, the project covers an area of 84.18 hectares. The Nannup region is historically significant for its timber industry, with land use dominated by state forests, commercial timber plantations, and cattle grazing.

This project operates under the Plantation Forestry methodology, which allows proponents to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by establishing new timber plantations or altering the management of existing ones, specifically by extending the rotation period before harvesting. In this case, the project involves both converting short-rotation plantations to long-rotation cycles and establishing new plantation forests. This approach sequesters carbon in the trees as they grow and stores it long-term in the wood products harvested.

Environmentally, the site lies within a high-rainfall zone, typical of the Blackwood Valley and Darling Plateau, receiving approximately 900mm to 1000mm of rain annually. The climate is Mediterranean, characterized by cool, wet winters and dry, warm summers. The local soils are generally loamy or gravelly, often featuring lateritic ironstone gravels which are highly suitable for growing Pinus radiata (radiata pine) or Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum).

The project proponent, Iwatani Forests Pty Ltd, is a subsidiary of the Japanese industrial conglomerate Iwatani Corporation. While Iwatani is widely recognized for its energy (LPG and hydrogen) and mineral sands operations in Western Australia, this project represents a strategic investment in carbon neutrality through forestry assets.