Elserae Agriculture is a broadacre cropping business owned and managed by the McAlpine family, who have farmed in the Latham / Maya district of the Shire of Perenjori in Western Australia (WA) for several generations. The property covers approximately 7,000 hectares and produces wheat, canola, barley and lupins. The owners want to care for the land over the long term while operating profitably. To improve the biodiversity and natural capital on their land, they are diversifying into carbon farming through revegetation with endemic species.

The south-west of WA is widely known for its high level of endemic biodiversity, which is unique in both the Australian and global context. This includes the project area, where native vegetation supports high levels of biodiversity. Prior to clearing, the area included the Joseph land system (undulating yellow sandplain supporting dense mixed shrublands with patchy mallees) and the Doney land system (alluvial plains with eucalypt woodlands). Today the landscape is predominantly cleared for agricultural production, as is typical of the surrounding northern wheatbelt. Native vegetation remains in regenerated pockets, recent plantings by the owners and strips along road and rail reserves.

The carbon farming program targets 222 ha for revegetation with endemic plant species. Planting areas were selected for their suitability, connectivity to remnant and revegetated areas and fit with cropping operations. Sizing was also considered to give the best habitat and biodiversity outcomes. A local revegetation expert with a long history of planting in the area and an operating native plant nursery nearby has been engaged for the planting.

The Environmental Account uses the Accounting for Nature® (AfN) methodology to measure and report on the Environmental Assets within the project. It is designed to comply with the AfN CarbonPlus program, which allows direct links to the ANREU digital registry for carbon credits (e.g. ACCUs) and biodiversity projects, subject to formal review.

The Environmental Account was registered in early 2026 and is one of the first AfN projects in the northern wheatbelt of WA. The owners hope it will encourage wider restoration efforts among broadacre farmers and land managers in the region. They have also acquired another Wheatbelt property and may apply AfN accounting there as part of a portfolio, depending on the outcome of this project.