Heartwood Carbon 1

Heartwood Carbon 1 is a plantation forestry project located primarily across the Gippsland region of Victoria, with dispersed sites situated near the towns of Yarram, Sale, and Traralgon, and an additional site in central Victoria near Seymour. Registered in August 2022, the project currently covers approximately 428 hectares. The project operates as an aggregation of multiple properties, evidenced by the scattered coordinates and recent administrative variations that have added and removed land from the project area since its inception.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Unlike environmental plantings which are permanent and protected from harvest, this methodology supports commercial forestry operations. It generates carbon credits (ACCUs) by establishing new plantation forests or converting existing short-rotation plantations (pulpwood) into long-rotation plantations (sawlogs). Carbon is sequestered in the trees during growth and stored long-term in the harvested wood products.

The Gippsland region is one of Australia's premier forestry and agricultural hubs, characterized by reliable, high rainfall (typically exceeding 600mm to over 850mm annually) and fertile soils ranging from sandy loams to friable clays. These conditions are ideal for rapid tree growth and support the region's dominant land uses, which include dairy farming, cattle grazing, and extensive timber production. The site near Seymour typically experiences slightly lower rainfall and features granitic or sedimentary loam soils.

Heartwood Plantations, the project proponent, differentiates itself by focusing on high-value "durable Australian hardwoods" rather than standard softwood (pine) or pulpwood species. Common species planted in their projects include Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata) and Yellow Stringybark (Eucalyptus muelleriana), which are grown for high-quality timber applications like decking and flooring. The project is supported by The Carbon Farming Foundation and reportedly utilizes a silvopasture approach, where livestock are allowed to graze beneath the trees to manage undergrowth and reduce fire risk.