Plantation Pine Products Australia - Plantation Forestry Project PPP1

Plantation Pine Products Australia - Plantation Forestry Project PPP1 is a plantation forestry project located across the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, with aggregated properties situated near the major towns of Orange, Bathurst, and Oberon. Registered in November 2022, the project covers a significant area of approximately 2,840 hectares. The region is a well-established hub for forestry and agriculture, characterised by a mosaic of pine plantations, grazing land for sheep and cattle, and broadacre cropping.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. This methodology credits the carbon sequestered by establishing new plantation forests or converting existing short-rotation plantations to long-rotation regimes. In this specific case, the project involves establishing new softwood plantations, likely Pinus radiata given the region's prominence in softwood production, for commercial harvesting. These trees will eventually supply timber products while storing carbon during their growth cycle.

Environmentally, the Central Tablelands region typically receives high rainfall, ranging from 600mm to over 900mm annually, which is ideal for commercial timber production. The soil profiles in the area are diverse, featuring fertile basalt-derived soils around Orange and Oberon, as well as granite-derived and duplex soils in the broader tablelands. These cool-temperate conditions support vigorous tree growth, essential for generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

A notable aspect of this project is its proponent, Group Energy Pty Ltd, which is the energy and sustainability arm of the Borg Group (owners of brands like polytec and Australian Panels). This suggests a vertically integrated model where the plantation timber may eventually supply Borg’s manufacturing facilities in Oberon. The project utilizes the services of The Carbon Farming Foundation, highlighting a collaborative approach to managing the carbon crediting process.