Orchid Valley Pine project 2019

The Orchid Valley Pine project 2019 is a plantation forestry project located in the rural locality of Orchid Valley, approximately 40km southwest of Kojonup and 45km southeast of Boyup Brook in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Registered in May 2018, the project currently spans 3,669 hectares across the Shires of Kojonup and Boyup Brook. The project is operated by The Trust Company (Australia) Limited as trustee for the Forestry Investment Trust (FIT), a major investment vehicle managed by the global forestry asset manager New Forests.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2017. Its primary activities involve establishing new plantation forests and converting existing short-rotation plantations into long-rotation forests. Given the project name and the methodology, this likely involves transitioning land previously used for short-rotation Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum) woodchips, common in the region, into long-rotation Pinus radiata (Pine) plantations intended for sawlog production. This shift extends the period carbon is stored in the trees before harvest and produces long-lived wood products that retain carbon post-harvest.

The Orchid Valley region is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, situated within the high-rainfall zone essential for commercial timber production. The landscape typically features undulating terrain with lateritic gravel and sandy loam soils, supporting a mix of broadacre cropping (canola, cereals), sheep grazing, and significant forestry estates. The project has undergone several administrative variations, expanding its area in 2020 and 2021 before a reduction in listed areas in September 2024.