AA2025R_BlackHillsP_S1S3

AA2025R_BlackHillsP_S1S3 is a Plantation Forestry project located in the Derwent Valley region, approximately 35 kilometres northwest of Hobart near the historic town of New Norfolk in Tasmania. It was registered on August 14, 2024, and covers an area of 453.33 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects operating under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022 involve establishing a new plantation forest, converting a short-rotation plantation to a long-rotation plantation, or avoiding the conversion of an existing plantation to non-forested land. To generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the standard requirements dictate that the proponent must achieve and maintain a viable commercial tree stocking density. The forest must be actively managed for ongoing carbon sequestration and the eventual commercial harvest of wood products, permanently preventing the land from reverting to non-forested uses such as agricultural pasture.

The Derwent Valley and broader Central Highlands area of Tasmania are well known for sheep and cattle grazing, broadacre agriculture, and extensive commercial forestry operations. The region experiences a cool temperate climate with a moderate to high rainfall classification, which is highly suitable for intensive timber production. The local soils generally consist of podzolic soils and clay loams, which are historically ideal for long-rotation commercial timber species.

This project sequesters carbon by both avoiding the conversion of an existing or recently harvested plantation to non-forested land, and by establishing a new plantation forest for commercial harvesting. Managed by SFM Environmental Solutions Pty Ltd as the agent for The Trust Company (Australia) Limited (acting as trustee for The Tasmanian Carbon Afforestation Sub-Trust), this project is linked to the broader "ActivAcre" program across Tasmania. This program aims to transform underutilised agricultural land into high-integrity carbon and timber-producing assets that can also provide valuable shelter for livestock. An additional note of interest is that on July 29, 2026, a variation was officially applied to the project boundary, resulting in some previously listed areas being removed from the project.