Landari Bothwell 2023

Landari Bothwell 2023 is a plantation forestry project located in the Central Highlands and Southern Midlands region of Tasmania, centered around the historic town of Bothwell. The project area encompasses approximately 308 hectares and comprises distinct blocks: one situated roughly 10 kilometers north of Bothwell near Cluny Lagoon, and another approximately 35 kilometers southeast near Apsley and Melton Mowbray. Registered in late November 2024, the project is managed by Landari Pty Ltd, a specialized forestry and carbon project development firm established by experienced foresters.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022, specifically utilizing the "avoided conversion" activity (Schedule 3). This methodology provides carbon credits to landholders who commit to maintaining an existing plantation forest that was otherwise scheduled for harvest and conversion to a non-forested land use, such as pasture for grazing. By legally protecting the trees from being permanently cleared for agriculture, the project ensures the carbon stored in the timber biomass remains sequestered.

The Bothwell region is characterized by a cool temperate climate with a distinct rain shadow effect, resulting in significantly lower rainfall than Tasmania’s west coast. Annual rainfall averages around 500mm to 550mm, classifying the area as semi-arid to dry sub-humid relative to the state's standards. The landscape is a mix of open valleys and rolling hills, traditionally used for fine-wool sheep grazing and dryland cropping. The soils in this corridor are typically fertile but often stony, derived largely from Jurassic dolerite and Triassic sandstone parent materials.

An interesting aspect of this project is the proponent's background; Landari Pty Ltd is led by industry veterans with extensive experience in commercial forestry management across Australia. Their involvement suggests a strategic approach to managing smaller or mid-sized plantation estates that might otherwise become unviable for timber alone and revert to farmland. The "2023" in the project name, despite the 2024 registration, likely indicates the vintage year or the commencement of the project's modelling and planning phase.