AA2024R_LauncestonNorthEastL_S2

AA2024R_LauncestonNorthEastL_S2 is a Plantation Forestry project located in Tasmania, comprising disparate sites centered around the Launceston region. Registered in May 2024, the project covers approximately 209 hectares. The project areas appear to be split between two distinct zones based on the provided coordinates: one site is situated roughly 25km northeast of Launceston near the locality of Nunamara, while the other is located significantly further south, approximately 60km from Launceston near the Steppes in the Central Highlands/Northern Midlands border region.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it engages in the "conversion from a short-rotation to long-rotation" activity. This involves altering the management of a plantation forest, typically originally planted for short-cycle pulpwood production (harvested every 10–15 years), to a long-rotation regime aimed at producing higher-value sawlogs. This change requires active management such as thinning and pruning to encourage tree diameter growth and significantly extends the time carbon remains stored in the forest biomass before harvest.

The environmental setting for these sites varies by elevation and proximity to the coast. The Nunamara site in the North East lies in a high-rainfall forestry belt known for productive Ferrosol soils and cool temperate conditions, ideal for species like Eucalyptus nitens (Shining Gum) or Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum). The southern site near the Central Highlands is at a higher altitude, characterized by a cooler, sub-alpine climate often used for a mix of grazing and robust forestry operations.

The project is managed by SFM Environmental Solutions, a prominent Tasmanian forest manager, while the proponent is listed as The Trust Company (Australia) Limited acting for "The Tasmanian Carbon Afforestation Sub-Trust." This structure suggests the project is part of a larger institutional investment portfolio rather than a small-scale farm forestry operation. SFM manages over 50,000 hectares of forest assets and has been active in aggregating land for carbon projects through initiatives that lease land from farmers for timber and carbon credits.