Yallalie Downs Carbon Project 2024

Yallalie Downs Carbon Project 2024 is an environmental planting project located at Yallalie Downs, a pastoral property in the Shire of Dandaragan, Western Australia. Situated approximately 200km north of Perth and positioned between the regional towns of Badgingarra and Moora, the project was registered in July 2024 and covers an area of roughly 194 hectares. The site sits within the Wheatbelt region, an area traditionally heavily utilised for broad-acre agriculture, including cropping and livestock grazing.

The project employs the "Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings" methodology, which involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species on land that has been cleared for agricultural use for at least five years. These plantings are typically established at a density sufficient to reach forest cover (often over 200 stems per hectare) and are designed to sequester carbon in the trees' biomass. For this specific project, the activities involve planting a mix of species native to the local area, likely including varieties such as Marri, Jarrah, or Banksia, which are suited to the region's ecological profile.

The local environment in the Dandaragan Plateau region is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The landscape typically features "sandplain" country with deep, pale siliceous sands and gravelly soils that support heathlands and woodlands.

A notable aspect of this project is the land tenure; Yallalie Downs is owned and operated by the Beemurra Aboriginal Corporation. It is a working cattle backgrounding station and the first Aboriginal-owned business of its kind in Western Australia. In addition to the carbon project and cattle operations, the property is developing a cultural tourism offering, including a "Camping with Custodians" site. The property is also located near the Yallalie impact crater, a significant geological feature that holds cultural importance for the local Noongar people. The project proponent, INPEX New Energy Business Australia, is a subsidiary of a major global energy company, suggesting this project is part of a corporate offsetting or "insetting" strategy.