AKD-2 NSW

AKD-2 NSW is a Plantation Forestry project located approximately 25km south of Bathurst in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. It was registered in April 2022 and covers 1334.11 hectares.

Plantation Forestry projects registered under the 2022 methodology involve establishing and maintaining a new plantation forest or converting short-rotation plantations to long-rotation forests. A key feature of this method is that it sequesters carbon while still allowing for the commercial harvesting of wood products.

The Central Tablelands around the Bathurst region is historically known for broadacre agriculture, beef and sheep grazing, and extensive commercial softwood plantations. The area experiences moderate to high reliable rainfall, typically averaging 600-650mm annually, with cold winters. The local soils feature a mix of granite-derived soils, yellow solodic soils, and chromosols that provide excellent conditions for deep-rooted softwood species such as radiata pine.

An interesting note about this project is its history of administrative variations. Originally registered as LANDARI AKD-2 NSW under the proponent Landari Pty Ltd, the project name and ownership were updated to reflect Associated Kiln Driers Pty Ltd (AKD Softwoods) between 2023 and 2026. AKD is a major 100% Australian-owned integrated forestry and timber processing company that operates several sawmills and manages over 9,000 hectares of radiata pine plantations across the country. The project was expanded in July 2022 when new land areas were added to the initial boundary. By incorporating carbon sequestration with commercial timber operations, this project contributes to sustainable regional forestry while generating Australian Carbon Credit Units over its nominated 25-year permanence period.