Sustainable Timber Tasmania Project 3. Conversion of 150 ha of Pinus Radiata

Sustainable Timber Tasmania Project 3 is a plantation forestry project located across two distinct regions in Tasmania: one site is situated in the Meander Valley approximately 10km southwest of Deloraine, while the second site lies in the far south of the Huon Valley, near Dover. Registered in September 2022, the project covers a total area of approximately 171 hectares.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it involves the conversion of existing short-rotation plantation forests, typically harvested quickly for pulpwood, into long-rotation plantations managed for sawlog production. By extending the harvest cycle (rotation length), the project allows trees to grow larger and store carbon for a longer period, both within the forest biomass and subsequently in long-lived wood products.

The environmental setting for these sites is typical of Tasmania's prime forestry estates. The northern site in the Meander Valley experiences high rainfall (approx. 800–1200mm annually) and likely features krasnozem or podzolic soils derived from basalt and mudstone, which are well-suited to Pinus radiata. The southern Huon Valley site is in a cool temperate zone with significant rainfall and soils often characterized as duplex clays or loams derived from dolerite. Both regions are heavily utilized for forestry and agriculture, with the Meander Valley also known for dairy and cropping, and the Huon Valley for fruit growing and aquaculture.

This project is managed by Forestry Tasmania (trading as Sustainable Timber Tasmania), the Government Business Enterprise (GBE) responsible for managing Tasmania's public production forests. It appears to be part of a broader "carbon mandate" undertaken by the organization, which has delivered multiple carbon projects covering approximately 2,000 hectares to date. The specific focus on converting pine from short to long rotation highlights a strategic shift to maximize both carbon sequestration and the production of higher-value structural timber.