Stockdale Park Carbon Project

Stockdale Park Carbon Project is a plantation forestry project primarily anchored at the historic Stockdale Park property in Stockdale, Gippsland, approximately 25km northeast of Stratford in Victoria. While the project originates in the Gippsland region, its registered coordinates indicate it has expanded to span multiple sites across the state, including the Green Triangle in the south-west, the Otway region, and North East Victoria. Registered on August 8, 2023, the project currently covers a massive 3391.92 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects operating under the 2022 methodology generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by establishing new plantation forests or converting existing short-rotation plantations to long-rotation cycles prior to the commercial harvesting of wood products. To meet standard ACCU definitions, the established forest must consist of commercial tree species planted at a density capable of reaching at least 2 meters in height and achieving a minimum 20% crown cover.

Because the project aggregates land across several of Victoria's prime timber regions, environmental conditions vary but are generally highly productive. These areas typically fall into moderate to high rainfall classifications, receiving reliable precipitation conducive to rapid tree growth. Soil types range widely across the varied sites, from the sandy loams prevalent in the Green Triangle to rich basalts and heavier clay loams found in the Otway and Gippsland hill regions. Traditionally, regional land use across these areas consists of dairy farming, livestock sheep and cattle grazing, and extensive commercial forestry operations.

Interestingly, the project takes its name from "Stockdale Park," a picturesque 573-hectare sheep and cattle property that was owned by the same local farming family since the 1880s. After the historic farm was offered for sale for the first time in 140 years and sold in late 2022, Hancock Victorian Plantations (HVP Plantations) acquired the land and established this carbon project. Since its initial registration, the proponent has heavily expanded the project's footprint, adding land through 16 separate area variations between May 2024 and August 2026 to aggregate their diverse short and long-rotation plantation operations across Victoria.