Western Treefarm Project 2B (WTP2B)

Western Treefarm Project 2B (WTP2B) is a plantation forestry project located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, approximately 20km northwest of the township of Frankland River and 30km west of Tenterden. Registered in April 2025, the project covers a net area of 967.20 hectares within a landscape historically utilized for mixed farming, viticulture, and timber production. The project is managed by Mitsui & Co. Wood Resources Oceania Pty Ltd (MWO), a major subsidiary of the Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co., which has been a significant player in the Australian woodchip and plantation sector since 1995.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. It combines two distinct activities to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs): establishing new plantation forests on land that has not been forested for at least seven years, and converting existing short-rotation plantations (typically grown for woodchips) into long-rotation plantations (grown for sawlogs). By extending the rotation period, the trees sequester carbon for a longer duration before harvest, while new plantings actively remove carbon from the atmosphere as they mature.

Environmentally, the Frankland River region experiences a Mediterranean climate characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, with average rainfall typically exceeding 600mm, ideal for Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum) growth. The local terrain generally features undulating plains with soils consisting of gravelly loams, lateritic gravels, and sandy loams over clay, which provide good drainage and stability for forestry operations.

An interesting operational detail is the project variation noted in December 2025, where specific areas were removed from the project boundary. This type of variation often occurs following detailed geospatial mapping or stakeholder engagement, ensuring that only viable and compliant land contributes to the carbon abatement calculations. MWO has been actively expanding its carbon footprint, moving beyond traditional timber exports to integrate carbon farming into its diverse portfolio.