Maslen Plantation

Maslen Plantation is a plantation forestry project located approximately 20 kilometers north of Gloucester in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales. Registered in November 2023, the project covers a significant area of 453 hectares in the hinterland of the Barrington Coast. The site is situated near Callaghans Creek and Maslen Road, nestled in a region characterised by steep, timbered ridges and valleys that transition towards the Barrington Tops National Park.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it involves the activity of transitioning an existing plantation or native forest with harvest rights into a permanent forest. By forfeiting the right to harvest timber, often permitted under Private Native Forestry (PNF) plans common in this district, the project generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for the carbon stored in the trees that are now protected from logging.

The Gloucester and Barrington Tops area is renowned for its high rainfall, often exceeding 1,000mm annually, and fertile soils ranging from alluvial river flats to ancient basalt on higher slopes. The terrain of the project area rises from approximately 150 meters to 500 meters above sea level, supporting a dense mix of native hardwood species. The property appears to have historical links to the Maslen family, a well-known name in the local grazing and earthmoving industries, with the project site itself encompassing "Maslen Road."

Managed by the proponent ACF (NO.1) PTY LTD, which holds the trademark for "Australia Forest Carbon," this project represents a shift in local land use from traditional timber extraction to conservation finance. Real estate listings for the property prior to registration described it as a "huge wilderness block" with an active forestry vegetation plan, highlighting the direct trade-off made between continuing commercial logging and establishing a permanent carbon sink.