Yimba Biodiversity Project

The Yimba Biodiversity Project stands as a recent addition to Carbon Neutral Pty Ltd’s portfolio within the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor. Once teeming with expansive York and Salmon gum woodlands, this corridor in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia has seen over 90% of its vegetation cleared since the early 1900s for agricultural purposes. Today, soils have become increasingly unsuitable for traditional farming due to degradation and climate change as well as contributing to increased salinity and river turbidity.

Prior to the purchase of the Yimba property, Carbon Neutral’s development of the wider Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor enabled the company to become Australia’s first organisation to be awarded Gold Standard certification. As part of the approvals process to achieve this, seven of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals were identified, and the addition of the Yimba Biodiversity Project aligns with SDG 6: Clean Water and Salination, SDG 13: Climate Action, and SDG 15: Life on Land.

Spanning 1,560 hectares in the Shire of Chapman Valley, the Yimba Biodiversity Project is registered as an ACCU project. This initiative involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species on land primarily used for agriculture, utilising the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings – FullCAM) Methodology Determination 2014. Along with other tree planting programs, the project is estimated to generate a total of 54,000 ACCUs over its lifetime and has been protected under a 100-year carbon covenant.

Yimba’s landscape comprises gently sloping to flat terrain, with sand dunes in the west and the Greenough River bordering the property in the west. Featuring a mixture of yellow sands, red fine sands over calcrete, and calcareous rubbly sands, the property includes high-quality cropping paddocks. Originally dominated by species such as Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Allocasuarina, and Acacia, Yimba’s red loam and red sandy soils serve as an ideal habitat for the biodiverse mixed native species planted by Carbon Neutral.

The Greenough River supports vital corridors of wildlife habitat, enabling Carbon Neutral’s revegetation efforts to flourish, benefiting flora and fauna communities along the stream. Through continuous monitoring and assessment, Carbon Neutral ensures the ongoing success of these restoration initiatives.

In developing the Yimba Biodiversity Project, Carbon Neutral implemented a model that retained productive farmland while reintroducing over 70 species back into the landscape. Through collaborative efforts with neighbours and consultants, designated revegetation corridors and farming areas were established, aiming to create buffer plantings, corridors adjoining remnant vegetation, and significant wildlife corridors between nearby reserves. Carbon Neutral’s restoration plans prioritise natural processes, allowing well-suited species to eventually dominate within the restoration area, ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the restored ecosystem.