AA2024R_SouthEastL_S2

AA2024R_SouthEastL_S2 is a plantation forestry project located in the South-East region of Tasmania, situated approximately 25km inland from the coastal town of Triabunna and 60km northeast of Hobart. It was registered in August 2024 and covers an initial area of 280.60 ha.

The project operates under the Carbon Farming Initiative (Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Plantation forestry projects sequester carbon by establishing new plantation forests, maintaining existing ones, or modifying harvest schedules. Standard methodology requirements involve maintaining specific stocking densities and managing commercial harvest cycles to ensure sustained long-term carbon storage while yielding timber products. Specifically, this project sequesters carbon by converting an existing short-rotation plantation forest to a long-rotation plantation forest for the commercial harvesting of wood products.

The surrounding South-East Tasmanian region is well known for a mix of agriculture and commercial forestry. Local land use typically involves sheep and cattle grazing, alongside dairy farming and cropping. The environment in this region features a moderate to high rainfall classification, supported by varied, fertile soils that generally include deep basalt, clay, and sandy loams, which are ideal for both agricultural production and sustained timber growth.

An interesting aspect of this project is its proponent, The Tasmanian Carbon Afforestation Sub-Trust, and its management under the "ActivAcre" program. Managed locally by SFM Environmental Solutions and backed by institutional investors, ActivAcre partners with farmers to lease underutilized portions of active farmland (typically 10-20% of a property) to establish long-rotation plantations. This provides landowners with a steady, alternative income stream without disrupting their primary farming pursuits, while also delivering on-farm co-benefits such as tree shelterbelts for livestock. Additionally, public registry records indicate a variation was processed on April 17, 2025, adding further areas of land to the project's total footprint.