Landari AKD-3 VIC 2022

Landari AKD-3 VIC 2022 is a plantation forestry project located near the small locality of Shelley in the Towong Shire of North East Victoria. Situated approximately 30 kilometers east of Tallangatta and 70 kilometers southeast of the major regional center of Albury-Wodonga, the project covers a registered area of 258.19 hectares. The project was registered in July 2023 and originally listed under the participant Landari Pty Ltd before being transferred to Associated Kiln Driers Pty. Limited (AKD) in November 2023.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it involves an "avoided conversion" activity. This means the project area was a pre-existing plantation that, upon harvesting, was at risk of being converted into non-forested agricultural land (such as pasture for grazing). By committing to re-establish and maintain the plantation forest for commercial wood production instead of clearing it, the project generates carbon credits for the stored carbon that would otherwise have been released or foregone.

The Shelley and Koetong region is a well-established hub for softwood forestry due to its favorable environmental conditions. The area is classified as a high-rainfall zone, situated in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, receiving substantial annual precipitation (often exceeding 800mm) which supports vigorous pine growth. The terrain typically features friable clay loams and granitic soils derived from the surrounding mountain ranges, which provide excellent drainage and depth for timber plantations. The surrounding land use is a mix of state forests, commercial pine plantations, and cattle grazing on cleared valleys.

Associated Kiln Driers (AKD), the current proponent, is a major Australian-owned forestry and timber processing company with significant assets in Victoria, including sawmills and over 12,000 hectares of plantations. The project appears to be part of a collaboration with Landari, a carbon project developer that specializes in the forestry sector. This partnership allows large timber entities like AKD to leverage carbon finance to support the economic viability of retaining land for timber production rather than converting it to other agricultural uses.