Fencing
Existing stock exclusion fence is in place as indicated in the below map. As part of the Planting Project activities, some 4 km of rabbit proof fence was installed in Q4 2024 along the western half of the planting area, in anticipation of the initial planting phase on this side of the Planting Project. The rabbit proof fence is located 4m in from the property boundary or stock exclusion fence. The eastern half of the planting area will be rabbit proof fenced prior to next year’s second planting phase.
The rabbit proof fence will be upgraded to a feral proof fence after the initial labour-intensive years for the Planting Project (ie after 2026).
In anticipation of continued, below long-term average rainfall, two 32,000L water tanks were installed in Q2 2025 and hooked up to existing water bores. The tanks have been gradually filled and are now ready should watering be required. It is expected that this will be in the summer months for the initial year after planting. By then the budding trees, which were selected from native Wheatbelt species for their particular draught resistance, should have established sufficient root structure to cope with dry periods.
Seeds were subsequently collected by an experienced and registered seed collector and delivered to the nursery for germination. The seed collector gathered seed for any rare and endangered species from planted populations, so as not to put additional pressure on wild stands.
Prior to the start of deep ripping for the 2025 planting, environmental consultants carried out a perimeter/baseline survey. This involved the georeferencing of locations at regular intervals along the project perimeter, from which photographs were taken. This is as per the Clean Energy Regulator’s project reporting requirement and will be repeated at regular intervals over the life of the Project to document progress.
Experience from several years of trial plantings has shown that a key success factor in the survival rate of seedlings is deep ripping (> 40 cm). This prepares the soil for the seedlings by loosening up what tends to be dried out, hardened soil and creates a focal point for the collection of moisture as the rains come in. Both these elements support the seedlings in more rapidly establishing a deeper root structure.
Greg constructed a purpose-built deep ripper that was used to rip the soil across the eastern half of the planting area. Rip lines are 3 meters apart and oriented North-South to optimise on sun exposure whilst the seedlings are establishing.
Looking southward on the western edge of the Planting Project towards Mt Caroline with the edge of Gnamma Holes showing to the West. Care is taken not to disturb the occasional plover nest that is encountered in the planting area.
Seed had been delivered to the Boola Boornarp Nursery (Noongar Land Enterprises) near Northam in August 2024 and from these seedlings were grown. The first truckload of seedlings was delivered on July 1st 2025 and the final delivery on July 21st, making up a total of 90,000 seedlings.
These were planted to cover the western Planting Area at a relatively high average density of 900 stems per hectare. The rip lines are 3 m apart and seedlings are planted at 2.5 to 4 m spacing, depending on the average size for mature trees. Even though planting was executed along rip lines, the resulting vegetation configuration is block planting as species were clustered in sections of 3-4 rows wide. Planting was carried out by a crew of 3 to 4 planters using handheld Pottiputki planters, supported by 2 drivers of respectively a truck and a ute to ensure a steady supply of seedlings to the planting crew. The 2025 planting was completed on July 30th.
A total of 15 eucalypt species were planted (mostly mallee), as well as a further 12 species from the following non- eucalypt groups:
E. accedens
E. brockwayi
E. capillosa
E. caesia magna
E. crucis ssp. crucis
E. erythronema
E. eudesmiodes
E. formanii
E. kruseana
E. leptopoda
E. loxophleba ssp loxophleba
E. myriadena
E. rhodantha
E. websteriana
E. yilgarnensis
L. nitens
A. acuminata
A. lasciocalyx
A. microbotrya
A. splendens
A. huegelliana
M. eleuterostachya
M. hamata
M. lateriflora
M. radula
H. multilineata
H. petiolaris
K. glabrescens
For next year’s planting of the eastern half of the planting area, 90,000 seedlings from the 13 (sub)species have been ordered from the Boorla Boornap Nursery. The actual species available for planting depends on the availability of seeds and their germination/development rate and will be confirmed closer to the timing of the planting. The ordered species are:
E. horistes
E. yilgarensis
E. mukinbudin
E. caesia caesea
E. sheathiana
E. leptopoda subsp. leptopoda
E. leptopoda subsp. glauca
E. loxophleba, subspecies lissophloia
E. arachnaea
E. rigidula
E. subangusta subsp. subangusta
E. educta
E. carnei
L. nitens
A. acuminata
A. denticulosa
A. huegelliana
Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme project registered under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011
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