Western Treefarm Project phase 2 (WTP2)

Western Treefarm Project phase 2 (WTP2) is a plantation forestry project located in the South West region of Western Australia. The project is comprised of multiple planting sites; one is situated approximately 5 kilometers west of the historic timber and mining town of Greenbushes, while the northern section lies roughly 40 kilometers southeast of Collie, near the Shire of West Arthur. These sites are positioned approximately 60 to 80 kilometers inland from the major port city of Bunbury. Registered on June 5, 2024, the project initially covered an area of 477 hectares, though it expanded its boundaries through a variation in July 2025 to include additional land.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. This methodology allows proponents to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by establishing new timber plantations or converting short-rotation plantations to long-rotation cycles. WTP2 specifically focuses on establishing new plantation forests on land where they did not previously exist. This activity sequesters carbon in the growing trees and eventual wood products, whilst supporting the commercial timber industry. The trees are planted at a stocking density suitable for commercial harvest, typically involving species such as Radiata Pine or Tasmanian Blue Gum.

The region is defined by its Mediterranean climate, characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. While the Greenbushes area falls within a high-rainfall zone supporting dense jarrah-marri forests, the northern site near West Arthur transitions into a medium-rainfall zone where land use is a mix of forestry, cattle grazing, and broadacre cropping. The soils in these areas are predominantly lateritic gravels and sandy loams, which are well-suited for deep-rooted timber plantations.

This project is managed by Mitsui & Co. Wood Resources Oceania Pty Ltd (MWO), a subsidiary of the Japanese trading giant Mitsui & Co. MWO is a significant player in the Australian forestry sector, managing extensive plantations and operating woodchip export facilities at the Port of Bunbury. The "Phase 2" designation suggests this project acts as an expansion to previous operations (likely the Western Treefarm Project Phase 1), reinforcing Mitsui's long-term investment in the Western Australian timber supply chain.