Sandalwood 2024

Sandalwood 2024 is a plantation forestry project located in the Shire of West Arthur, approximately 35 kilometers southeast of the town of Collie in Western Australia. Registered on September 4, 2024, the project covers an area of 401.52 hectares. The surrounding region is traditionally known for a mix of broadacre agriculture, particularly sheep grazing, and forestry operations within the jarrah forest belt.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, this project is classified as a new plantation establishment (Schedule 1), which involves planting trees on land where no forest existed for at least seven years prior. The methodology allows for the commercial harvesting of wood products, calculating abatement based on the long-term average carbon stock of the plantation rather than just the standing trees at any one moment.

Environmentally, the site lies within a Mediterranean climate zone, characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The region typically receives annual rainfall between 600mm and 700mm, supporting productive forestry. The local soils are predominantly lateritic ironstone gravels and sandy loams, which are characteristic of the Darling Plateau and suitable for deep-rooted tree species.

A notable feature of this project is its proponent, Roy Hill Holdings Pty Ltd, a prominent iron ore mining company associated with the Pilbara region. The project title, "Sandalwood 2024," suggests the plantation will likely consist of Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum), a valuable native species prized for its aromatic oil and wood. This indicates the company is leveraging high-value forestry assets in the state's southwest to offset emissions generated by their mining activities in the north.