FIT WA 2026 Carbon Project

FIT WA 2026 Carbon Project is a plantation forestry project located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, with project areas distributed across the shires of Cranbrook, Plantagenet, and Kojonup. The sites are situated approximately 50 to 100 kilometers inland from the major port city of Albany. Registered on September 11, 2025, the project covers a total area of approximately 1,436 hectares.

The Great Southern region is a significant agricultural hub, traditionally dominated by mixed cropping (wheat, canola) and livestock grazing (sheep and cattle). However, the specific corridor occupied by this project, particularly around Frankland River and Mount Barker, is also well-established as a premier timber and viticulture region. The environment is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Rainfall in these forestry zones typically ranges between 600mm and 800mm annually. The soil profiles are predominantly duplex, featuring gravelly sandy loams over clay subsoils, which are well-suited to supporting deep-rooted plantation trees like Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) or Pinus radiata.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. It combines two distinct activities: establishing new plantation forests on land that was previously used for grazing or cropping (Schedule 1), and converting existing short-rotation plantations, typically harvested quickly for woodchips, into long-rotation plantations yielding sawlogs (Schedule 2). By extending the rotation period, the trees grow larger and store carbon for a longer duration before harvesting.

An interesting aspect of this project is its forward-looking nomenclature; while registered in late 2025, the name "FIT WA 2026" aligns with its crediting period start date of May 1, 2026. The project is managed by PF Olsen (Aus) Pty Ltd, one of the largest independent forest managers in the Southern Hemisphere, acting on behalf of the Forestry Investment Trust. This structure allows the proponent to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) alongside commercial timber revenue, effectively diversifying the income stream of the forestry asset.