Hidden Valley AC Project

Hidden Valley AC Project is an Avoided Clearing project located at Thinoomba, approximately 25km west of Maryborough in the Fraser Coast region of Queensland. Registered in November 2022, the project covers approximately 110 hectares of land. The surrounding Thinoomba and St Mary area is traditionally used for cattle grazing, sugar cane production, and forestry, owing to its proximity to the St Mary State Forest.

The project operates under the Avoided Clearing of Native Regrowth methodology. This method allows landholders to generate carbon credits by voluntarily refraining from clearing native forest regrowth that they would otherwise be legally permitted to clear (typically classified as Category X land in Queensland). By protecting this vegetation for a designated permanence period (usually 25 or 100 years), the project avoids the emissions associated with deforestation and allows the forest to mature.

Environmentally, the region experiences a subtropical climate with moderate to high rainfall, averaging around 900mm annually due to its location between the coast and the inland ranges. Local property listings describe the "Hidden Valley" area as featuring "red soil scrub country", likely fertile Ferrosols or Dermosols, and alluvial creek flats, which support stands of native timber such as Hoop Pine.

The project proponent, FJD Family Pty Ltd (trustee for the FJD Family Trust), is associated with Christophe Bur, a prominent figure in the Queensland carbon farming sector and a director at Regen Farmers Mutual. The proponent manages other carbon initiatives in the region, including the nearby "Zeebra Plains" project. In May 2024, the project underwent a variation to adjust its designated area.