We’re at an exciting stage in WA for all things carbon. We’ve been fielding more enquiries than ever from farmers showing interest in getting involved. This could range all the way from getting a better understanding of emissions produced across their enterprise to putting a project in place with the goal of earning carbon credits.
Our team has been on the ground, visiting clients who are considering implementing carbon projects. While every farm is different, there are a few trends that have come up in our recent interactions with clients that we think are worth keeping in mind if you are considering going down the carbon farming path yourself.

Choosing a method
Amongst our clients, there is a roughly even split between those considering soil carbon projects and those considering reforestation projects. For an overview of what these methods involve, please have a look at our previous article here (link to “A 2023 milestone – 100,000 ha of potential carbon farming project land assessed”, July 2023).
Potential projects of both methods are spread across the width of the Wheatbelt and beyond. A possible exception is the northern edge of the Wheatbelt, where reforestation projects currently seem to be the more popular option. This is partly a factor of the lower yields and land values in this area making alternative land uses more attractive compared to other districts. The appeal of new income streams is very understandable after the exceptionally poor season experienced in the northern Wheatbelt last year.

Soil carbon project considerations
For those looking at soil carbon projects, it’s worth thinking about what you’ve already done, since existing practices have to be excluded from a project on an area-by-area basis. Some clients have already changed their practices significantly in recent years, and this can make it more difficult to design a project consisting of new practices. However, it is important to think about the full suite of practices that are available to keep your options open.
The kinds of practices you might want to include in a project vary widely from farm to farm. As soil carbon projects typically take a whole-of-farm approach, there will normally be a range of practices included in a project. These will be tailored to your enterprise, but broadly they aim to maintain groundcover, address soil constraints and increase biomass accumulation. Whatever practices you are looking at, Planfarm TerraWise always recommends that you implement them first and foremost with the aim of improving productivity and not chasing carbon.

Reforestation project considerations
For those considering carbon planting projects, it is worth thinking about the areas you may be able to plant out. Under the current reforestation method, planting areas must be clear of any woody vegetation for the last 5 years (this includes areas of non-native forage shrubs such as tagasaste). We often speak to landholders who have areas of existing vegetation that they would like to infill plant, but these generally have to be excluded from the project unless perhaps they contain large bare areas.

In some cases, these existing vegetated areas make up a significant part of the farm. We have been impressed by the work that many have put in over decades to revegetate their properties, often with little to no support. This may be to improve the condition of creeks, stop the spread of salinity or bring back native species. We are always learning from these landholders about the more practical aspects of planting trees. It is unfortunate that, under the current methodologies, they cannot be rewarded better for their efforts. However, there may still be ways to expand these areas and make the most of existing fencing.
Scale can be a challenge for reforestation projects, especially in the medium to high rainfall zones where cropping land is more valuable. If you are in this situation, it’s worth thinking about whether you have marginal cropping land that you would like to plant, as this may be the easiest way to build up significant areas. There is a goldilocks zone here – most will understandably want to keep the productive areas available for cropping. On the other hand, severely saline affected areas with samphire or visible surface salt are unlikely to be suitable for planting due to poor establishment. Good candidate areas may include those that have declining productivity due to salinity and are likely to become non-arable without intervention. As part of a carbon farming opportunity assessment, we can present estimates of carbon potential to help you with this decision-making process.

Some farms have large, cleared areas that are used for grazing but not suitable for cropping. These are strong candidates for planting areas. They do need to be fenced off to exclude livestock during the establishment of the plantings, but typically you should be able to get some grazing use out them after a few years (with careful management). Belt plantings are something to think about if you would like to create a shelter-belt area with good livestock utility.

For planting areas under 200ha, which seems to be the norm in the medium to high rainfall zones, reforestation projects are eligible for the Environmental Plantings Pilot program. This program is a way of implementing a reforestation project with less administrative burden and no auditing. . This could be quite appealing even in the low rainfall zone, if you are willing to sneak under the 200ha of total planting area.

In the pipeline
The federal government is currently developing a new method called the Integrated Farm and Land Management (IFLM) methodology. IFLM aims to combine existing soil carbon and planting methods with novel approaches, allowing landholders to combine them in the one project.

Late last year, the government passed the Nature Repair Act 2023, which is the first move towards a national biodiversity market. It remains to be seen exactly how the scheme will work, but broadly it seems landholders will be able to generate certificates from planting and restoration activities and sell these on the market. This could be one to watch for future plantings projects especially.

What next?

As you can see, there are multiple considerations when investigating carbon farming projects, and they depend very much on the individual circumstances of your land and your business.

The best thing you can do now is to start the conversation and to start gathering the information you need to make an informed decision around carbon farming on your land. Planfarm TerraWise can help you investigate these opportunities through a carbon project opportunity report and other services. Reach out to info@nullterrawise.au or call Danielle at 0410 213 310 to find how we can help you get started.