Norm's Block Environmental Plantings Project

Norm's Block Environmental Plantings Project is a reforestation initiative located in Bowgada, approximately 20km east of the rural township of Perenjori in Western Australia's Mid West region. Registered in July 2024, the project covers nearly 79 hectares of land that was historically used for agriculture. The site sits within the Shire of Perenjori, an area widely known for broadacre cropping (wheat, barley, canola) and sheep grazing.

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 native forests, specifically mallee eucalypts or mixed-species environmental plantings, on land that has been clear of forest cover for at least five years. These plantings are designed to permanently store carbon while potentially enhancing local biodiversity and reducing salinity risks common in the region.

Environmental conditions in this part of the Wheatbelt are semi-arid with a warm, dry Mediterranean climate. Annual rainfall typically averages between 300mm and 340mm, falling predominantly in winter and spring. The local terrain often features sandy loams and ironstone gravels overlying laterite, with some valley floors exhibiting red-brown hardsetting loamy sands.

This project is developed by Carbon Neutral Pty Ltd and is identified in corporate disclosures as "Norm's Block" (Lot 7814). It appears to be a component of the developer's broader efforts to restore fragmented landscapes in the region, often associated with the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor. Local council records from 2024 indicate that the property was previously used for cropping, but this activity had been discontinued prior to the establishment of the carbon farm.