Woodside Native Reforestation Project - Phase 7

Woodside Native Reforestation Project - Phase 7 is an environmental planting project located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 40km northwest of the major town of Moora, falling within the Moora and Dandaragan local government areas. It was registered in August 2024 and covers a substantial 4,415.40 hectares.

Environmental planting projects operating under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology involve establishing permanent forest cover. The standard requirements dictate planting a mix of native tree and shrub species at a sufficient density to eventually achieve a forest canopy cover of at least 20% across the planting area, with trees capable of reaching a minimum height of 2 metres.

The surrounding Dandaragan and Moora region is a prominent agricultural hub, predominantly utilised for broadacre cereal cropping and sheep or cattle grazing. The region experiences a Mediterranean climate with moderate, winter-dominant rainfall. The local soils are highly variable, typically consisting of deep sands, sandy loams, lateritic gravels, and patches of clay. To meet the carbon methodology requirements, the project area must have been predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to the project's commencement.

An interesting note about this project is that it is part of a massive, multi-phase Native Reforestation program driven by Woodside Energy Carbon (Services) Pty Ltd. As part of its strategy to offset corporate emissions, Woodside has been actively acquiring tens of thousands of hectares of marginal agricultural land across Western Australia and New South Wales. The Phase 7 project will exclusively use tree species native to the local area, which not only sequesters carbon but also helps restore landscape connectivity and biodiversity in heavily cleared agricultural zones. The plantings are not intended for commercial harvest and are protected by a nominated 100-year permanence period.