2023 Age Class - Limestone Plantations

2023 Age Class - Limestone Plantations is a plantation forestry project located in the Naracoorte Lucindale Council area, approximately 35km southwest of Naracoorte in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. It was registered in June 2023 and covers an area of 396.66 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects generate carbon credits by establishing new plantations or altering the management of existing ones, such as converting short-rotation forests into long-rotation forests. Standard requirements under this methodology dictate that projects must use commercial tree species maintained at an adequate stocking density to be suitable for the commercial harvesting of wood products. Typically, this means transitioning from shorter pulpwood or woodchip harvesting cycles to producing higher-value sawlogs and solid wood products over a longer timeframe.

The Limestone Coast and the associated Green Triangle region are widely utilised for intensive commercial forestry operations, alongside cattle and sheep grazing, cropping, and viticulture. The region typically experiences a moderate to high rainfall climate ideal for silviculture, and local soils are generally characterised by sandy loams over clay and distinctive terra rossa topsoils sitting atop limestone subsoils.

This project sequesters carbon through a dual approach: establishing a newly planted forest area and converting an existing short-rotation plantation into a long-rotation model. An interesting development occurred in May 2025 when the project's ownership was formally transferred, with the registered participant changing from The Trust Company (PTAL) Limited (acting as trustee for the ANZ Forestry Fund 2, or ANZFOF2 Sub 1) to OneFortyOne Plantations Pty Ltd. OneFortyOne is a major trans-Tasman forestry operator deeply entrenched in the Green Triangle's timber industry. SFM Environmental Solutions continues to support the project operationally as its agent.