Neal Road Plantation Chelimi

Neal Road Plantation Chelimi is a plantation forestry project located in the foothills of the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, approximately 5km west of Pomonal and 10km east of Halls Gap in western Victoria. Registered on November 26, 2024, the project covers an area of roughly 21 hectares. The surrounding Northern Grampians region is characterized by a mix of traditional grazing, increasing tourism operations, and conservation zones, owing to its proximity to the dramatic sandstone ranges.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Unlike environmental plantings which are strictly for conservation, this methodology supports the establishment of new plantation forests for the commercial harvesting of wood products. The project activities involve planting trees at densities suitable for timber production on land that has not supported native forest for at least seven years. This allows the proponent to generate carbon credits (ACCUs) during the growth phase while retaining the option to harvest the timber, provided the carbon stocks are managed according to the method's long-term rotation or permanence rules.

Environmentally, the site is situated in a high-rainfall zone relative to the drier Wimmera plains to the north, benefiting from the orographic lift of the Grampians. Annual rainfall in the Pomonal area typically ranges between 600mm and 800mm. The local soils are generally described as sandy loams or friable loams derived from the weathering of the surrounding sandstone and granite geology, making them well-suited for forestry and horticulture.