Cole Permanent Forestry Project

Cole Permanent Forestry Project is a plantation forestry project located in the South Burnett region of Queensland, approximately 18km north-north-west of the town of Murgon. It was registered in June 2025 and covers a project area of 71.03 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects under the transitioning to permanent forest methodology involve converting an existing commercial plantation into a permanent, non-harvested forest. The core requirement is to manage the trees to establish permanent forest cover, ensuring the plantation is not clear-felled for wood products. This secures the sequestered carbon in situations where the plantation was otherwise at high risk of being cleared and converted to non-forested land.

The South Burnett area is well-known for diverse agricultural activities, heavily featuring cattle grazing, vineyards, peanut farming, and commercial forestry. The region generally experiences a subtropical climate with moderate rainfall. The local soils are typically rich red volcanic basalts and sandy loams, which provide an excellent foundation for both strong agricultural yields and robust forest growth.

An interesting aspect of this project is its proponent, James Brett Lochran Heading. He is a prominent Queensland corporate lawyer and agribusiness figure whose family has been farming and grazing in the South Burnett region for over 110 years. In addition to this permanent forestry project, Heading is the owner of the nearby award-winning Clovely Estate winery, highlighting a diversified approach to sustainable land management that combines viticulture, cattle grazing, and now dedicated carbon sequestration.