Orchid Valley Pine project 2019

The Orchid Valley Pine project 2019 is a plantation forestry project located in the Tonebridge region, approximately 45km southwest of Kojonup in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Registered in May 2018, the project currently manages an area of roughly 3,670 hectares. The project is operated by The Trust Company (Australia) Limited as trustee for the Forestry Investment Trust (FIT), a vehicle managed by the sustainable forestry investment manager New Forests.

Operating under the 2017 Plantation Forestry methodology, the project focuses on sequestering carbon by converting existing short-rotation plantations, typically harvested for pulp, into long-rotation plantations destined for sawlog production. This specific project involves the transition to pine trees (Pinus radiata), which grow for longer periods and store carbon in both the living biomass and the resulting long-lived wood products. The methodology requires strict adherence to stocking density and planting protocols to ensure valid abatement claims.

The project sits within a high-rainfall zone of the Western Australian wheatbelt, an area historically significant for both wool production and blue gum forestry. The landscape is characterized by undulating terrain with soils predominantly composed of lateritic gravels and sandy loams, which are well-suited for forestry operations. The region typically receives between 600mm and 800mm of annual rainfall, providing the necessary moisture levels to support commercial pine rotations.

Notable for its scale, the Forestry Investment Trust is a major asset holder in Australian forestry, with New Forests overseeing its transition towards climate-positive management practices. The project has undergone several variations since registration, expanding its area in 2020 and 2021 before a reduction in 2024, reflecting the dynamic nature of commercial forestry estates where compartment boundaries often shift.