Rooney's Plantation

Rooney's Plantation is a plantation forestry project located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, approximately 5 kilometers southwest of the township of Ellendale and 70 kilometers northwest of Hobart. Registered in June 2025, the project covers 344.5 hectares of land situated within a landscape characterized by steep, forested hills and river valleys. The proponent, Eastern Tiers Pty Ltd, is an established Tasmanian agricultural entity likely integrating this carbon project into a broader mixed-farming portfolio.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. This specific methodology credits activities that increase carbon storage in plantation forests. Rooney's Plantation implements two key activities: avoiding the conversion of plantation land to non-forested uses (such as pasture) and converting an existing short-rotation plantation (typically harvested quickly for pulp) into a long-rotation plantation. By extending the growth period to produce higher-value sawlogs, the trees remain in the ground longer, sequestering significantly more carbon over time compared to the previous management regime.

Environmentally, the Ellendale region is well-suited for forestry, falling within a high rainfall zone that typically receives between 800mm and 1,000mm annually. The local terrain supports wet sclerophyll forests and plantations, with soils in the area generally classified as Ferrosols or Dermosols derived from basalt and dolerite parent rock. These deep, well-structured soils are highly fertile and capable of sustaining the vigorous tree growth required for a successful long-rotation timber project. The project is supported by Samuel Bean, an advisor associated with the Carbon Farming Foundation, indicating a professional management approach to the carbon abatement strategy.