Newyungerup Project

Newyungerup Project is a Plantation Forestry project located in the South West region of Western Australia, approximately 7km north of Greenbushes and 16km north of Bridgetown. It falls across the Bridgetown-Greenbushes and Donnybrook-Balingup local government areas. The project was registered in July 2025 and initially covered 192.61 hectares, before undergoing a project area variation on 30 June 2026 to add new land to the project.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Plantation Forestry projects sequester carbon by establishing new plantations, converting short-rotation to long-rotation forests, or, as in this case, avoiding the conversion of a plantation to non-forested land. Standard methodology requirements ensure that land that would have otherwise been converted to pasture or cropping after harvest is instead replanted and maintained as a new plantation forest for the commercial harvesting of wood products, conforming to specific commercial stocking densities.

The Bridgetown and Greenbushes area is well known for forestry operations, including blue gum and pine plantations, alongside agricultural grazing and orchard farming. The environment features a typical Mediterranean climate characterized by high winter rainfall. Soils in this region are heavily lateritic, consisting of gravelly sandy loams and clay loams, which are highly productive for large-scale commercial hardwood and softwood plantations.

An interesting note about this project is its proponent, Peppermint Estate Pty Limited. This entity is an investment vehicle owned by New Forests' Australia New Zealand Forest Fund 3 (ANZFF3), a major institutional fund targeting the long-term, sustainable management of high-quality timber plantation estates across Australia and New Zealand. The company's name is a direct nod to the coastal peppermint tree (Agonis flexuosa), which is endemic to Western Australia's South West region. Additionally, Peppermint Estate Pty Ltd is a known active contributor to local natural resource management in the region, helping fund community stewardship grants for feral pig and pest management in the lower south west.