Landari AKD-4 Vic 2022: Hanna

Landari AKD-4 Vic 2022: Hanna is a plantation forestry project located near Rokewood, approximately 35km southwest of Ballarat in the Golden Plains Shire of Victoria. The project was registered on August 31, 2023, and covers an area of 173 hectares. This region, situated on the Victorian Volcanic Plains, is characterized by a mix of land uses including broadacre cropping, sheep grazing, and established forestry plantations.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it involves the conversion of a "short-rotation" plantation to a "long-rotation" plantation. In practical terms, this means the forest management strategy has shifted from growing trees for short-term harvest (typically 10-15 years for woodchips or pulp) to growing them for a longer period (typically 25+ years) to produce high-quality sawlogs for structural timber. This extension allows the trees to sequester significantly more carbon over their lifetime and store that carbon in long-lived wood products, such as housing frames, rather than short-lived paper products.

Environmental conditions in this part of the Western District generally feature moderate rainfall, sufficient to support commercial forestry operations (typically above 600mm annually). The soils in the Golden Plains region are predominantly derived from volcanic basalt, often manifesting as heavy clay or clay-loam soil types, which provide good water-holding capacity for tree growth.

The proponent, Associated Kiln Driers Pty Ltd (AKD), is one of Australia's largest timber processing companies. The project was originally listed under "Landari Pty Ltd," a participant name that was varied to AKD in November 2023. This alignment suggests the project directly supports AKD's supply chain for sawmilling operations in Colac or Geelong, reinforcing the shift towards higher-value timber production.