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 plantation sites in Tasmania, spanning from the Huon Valley in the south to the North-West and North-East regions near major cities such as Launceston and Burnie. It was registered in August 2025 and covers 303.55 hectares across several Local Government Areas including Central Coast, Circular Head, Dorset, and Huon Valley.

Plantation Forestry projects under this methodology involve establishing new plantations, maintaining pre-existing ones, or altering management practices to increase carbon storage. This specific project sequesters carbon by converting an existing short-rotation plantation forest into a long-rotation plantation. By changing the management regime to delay the harvest, the forest transitions from a short-term pulpwood cycle to a long-term cycle for commercial sawlogs, significantly increasing the average carbon stock held in the trees over time.

The Tasmanian regions hosting these plantation sites are heavily utilised for commercial forestry, conservation, and livestock agriculture. The environment across these regions is characterised by a cool temperate climate with high annual rainfall, and the soils are generally fertile red ferrosols (basalts), podzols, and clay loams, which are highly suited to sustainable timber growth.

This project is part of a broader emissions reduction strategy by Sustainable Timber Tasmania, the state-owned enterprise responsible for managing Tasmania's public production forests. The proponent currently operates multiple registered carbon abatement projects, including environmental plantings on Bruny Island and previous plantation conversions, utilising the ACCU scheme to demonstrate sustainable land use while continuing to service commercial timber demands.