Thornbill 2023 Project

The Thornbill 2023 Project is a significant plantation forestry initiative aggregated across multiple dispersed sites within Tasmania's prime forestry regions. Registered in October 2024, the project encompasses 1,014 hectares of plantation estate. The specific project areas are clustered around key forestry hubs: the high-rainfall northwest near Burnie and Waratah-Wynyard, the fertile northeast near Scottsdale (Dorset Council), and central sites in the Meander Valley and Southern Midlands. These locations vary from just 20km inland of Burnie to roughly 50km northeast of Launceston, situating them firmly within Tasmania's established timber production landscape.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022, specifically utilizing the "conversion from short-rotation to long-rotation" activity. In practical terms, this involves transitioning plantations, historically managed for short-cycle pulpwood and woodchip production, into long-rotation sawlog regimes. By allowing trees to grow for longer periods before harvest, the project increases the volume of carbon stored in the forest biomass. Furthermore, the resulting high-quality timber is used for long-life structural products (like housing frames) rather than short-lived paper products, delaying the release of carbon back into the atmosphere.

Environmentally, the project sites span some of Australia's most productive forestry land. The northwestern and northeastern sites typically feature high annual rainfall (often exceeding 1,000mm) and deep, fertile red Ferrosol (basalt) or granite-derived soils, which drive rapid tree growth. In contrast, the Southern Midlands sites may experience drier conditions with texture-contrast soils (sandy loam over clay). The proponent, "The Trust Company (Australia) Limited as the Trustee for Tasmanian Forest Operating Sub Trust," is the legal entity behind Forico, Tasmania's largest private forest manager. This estate was the subject of a major acquisition in 2023 by a consortium including UniSuper, the UK’s Pension Protection Fund, and APG, with asset management retained by New Forests.