Western Tree Farms 1

Western Tree Farms 1 is a plantation forestry project located in the South West region of Western Australia, spanning the Shires of Boyup Brook and Bridgetown-Greenbushes. The project area encompasses approximately 660 hectares, with land parcels situated roughly 15 kilometers northwest of Bridgetown and 40 kilometers east of Manjimup. Registered in May 2024, the project operates in a region renowned for its high rainfall and gravelly loam soils, conditions that historically support significant timber, dairy, and grazing industries.

The project is managed by Wespine Industries, a major softwood sawmiller based in Dardanup. Wespine is a 50/50 joint venture between Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers and Fletcher Building (Laminex). This corporate backing highlights a strategic integration of carbon farming with industrial timber production. By securing their own plantation resources, the proponent can simultaneously generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) and ensure a future supply of structural pine timber for the housing market.

Western Tree Farms 1 operates under the 2022 Plantation Forestry methodology, focusing on two specific activities: establishing new plantations on land previously used for agriculture, and converting existing short-rotation plantations to long-rotation forests. In the context of the Western Australian forestry sector, this often involves converting Tasmanian Blue Gum stands, typically harvested every 10–12 years for woodchips, into Pinus radiata plantations, which are grown for 25–30 years to produce high-quality sawlogs. This "short-to-long" conversion significantly increases the average carbon stock on the land over time, while the "new plantation" component sequesters carbon in trees established on land that has been clear of forest for at least seven years.