Avoided plantation conversion project on permanent timber production zone land in Tasmania

Avoided plantation conversion project on permanent timber production zone land in Tasmania is a plantation forestry project located across multiple distinct regions in Tasmania. The project sites are situated in the state's prime forestry and agricultural districts: the North West coast near Smithton and Burnie (approximately 20–30km inland), and the Huon Valley in the south, near the forestry town of Geeveston. Registered in July 2025, the project covers a total area of approximately 233 hectares.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022, specifically utilizing the "avoided conversion" activity (Schedule 3). This methodology credits projects where a plantation owner can demonstrate that the land was viable for conversion to a non-forest use, typically high-value agriculture such as dairy or cropping, but decided to maintain the plantation forest instead. By doing so, the carbon stored in the trees is preserved rather than being released through clearing and burning. The project requires the proponent to maintain forest cover and stocking density consistent with commercial plantation standards, preventing the land from becoming non-forested pasture.

The environmental conditions across these Tasmanian sites are ideal for rapid biomass growth. The North West regions (Smithton/Burnie) are renowned for their high rainfall (often exceeding 1,000mm annually) and highly fertile Red Ferrosols (krasnozems), deep, red volcanic soils that are heavily utilized for dairy farming and vegetable cropping when not under timber. The southern site near Geeveston shares this high-rainfall, cool-temperate climate but typically features Dermosols and Podzols, supporting wet sclerophyll forests.

A notable aspect of this project is its proponent, Forestry Tasmania (trading as Sustainable Timber Tasmania), a government business enterprise. The project takes place on "Permanent Timber Production Zone Land," highlighting a strategic decision to retain specific plantation assets for carbon sequestration rather than liquidating them for agricultural land conversion, which has been a common trend in the fertile North West region.