Toolangi Mountain Ash Plantation Forest Project

Toolangi Mountain Ash Plantation Forest Project is a plantation forestry project located in the Murrindindi Shire, approximately 65 kilometers northeast of Melbourne, Victoria. Registered on December 12, 2023, the project covers 12.03 hectares of land in a region historically renowned for its significant forestry operations and state forests. The area is situated within the Great Dividing Range, characterized by lush, tall open forests and cool temperate rainforest gullies.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it involves the establishment of a new plantation forest (Schedule 1), which sequesters carbon by converting land that has been clear of forest for at least seven years into a timber plantation. Unlike environmental plantings that are protected permanently, this methodology allows for the commercial harvesting of wood products. Carbon credits are generated based on the long-term average carbon stocks stored in the trees and wood products over the project's crediting period.

The Toolangi region is defined by a cool, high-rainfall climate, typically receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rain annually, which is ideal for supporting rapid tree growth. The soils in this area are generally deep, gradational clay loams that provide the moisture retention necessary for species like Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans). Mountain Ash is notable for being the tallest flowering plant in the world and is a native species dominant in the wetter, higher-altitude parts of this district.

An interesting aspect of this project is its focus on Eucalyptus regnans, a species deeply tied to the local identity of Toolangi but one that requires specific site conditions, principally high rainfall and protection from fire, to thrive in a plantation setting. While many modern plantations utilize pine or blue gum, this project leverages a species capable of immense carbon drawdown rates due to its rapid vertical growth.