Sustainable Timber Tasmania ACCU scheme project 5 - short to long rotation conversion of plantation

Sustainable Timber Tasmania ACCU scheme project 5 - short to long rotation conversion of plantation is a plantation forestry project located across multiple distinct forestry regions in Tasmania. The project area is dispersed, comprising approximately 303 hectares of plantation estate in the North West (near Burnie and Sheffield), North East (near Scottsdale), and the Southern forests (Huon Valley, near Geeveston). Registered in August 2025, this project is part of a broader carbon strategy by the proponent, Forestry Tasmania (trading as Sustainable Timber Tasmania), to leverage the state's Permanent Timber Production Zone (PTPZ) for climate mitigation.

The project operates under the 2022 Plantation Forestry methodology, specifically utilizing the "short to long rotation" activity. This involves altering the management of an existing plantation, typically established for short-rotation pulpwood (harvested every 10–15 years), to a long-rotation regime (sawlogs harvested at 25+ years). By extending the growth period, the trees sequester carbon for a longer duration, and the resulting wood products (like construction timber) store carbon for decades, unlike pulpwood products which degrade quickly.

Tasmania's forestry regions are characterized by cool temperate climates and high rainfall, often exceeding 1,000mm annually, which supports rapid tree growth. The project sites likely feature Ferrosols (red basalt soils) in the northern regions and Podzols or Dermosols in the south, soil types renowned for their fertility and suitability for high-yield Eucalyptus species. The surrounding land use is a mix of intensive forestry operations, dairy farming, and cropping.

An interesting note is that this project appears to be the fifth in a series of carbon initiatives by Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT), a Government Business Enterprise. STT's recent strategic reports highlight a shift toward "climate-smart forestry," aiming to increase the production of high-quality sawlogs while generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). This dual-benefit model supports the local timber processing industry while creating a new revenue stream through carbon finance.