Limestone2025R_Millard_S3

Limestone2025R_Millard_S3 is a Plantation Forestry project located approximately 15km south of Macarthur and 50km northwest of Warrnambool in the Green Triangle region of South West Victoria. Registered in July 2025, the project covers nearly 390 hectares of commercial timber land. It is part of the extensive "Limestone Coast" estate, which was acquired by the proponent OneFortyOne Plantations from New Forests in a major transaction completed in May 2025.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022, specifically utilising Schedule 3: Avoided Conversion. This activity involves maintaining a plantation forest that was at significant risk of being cleared and converted to non-forested land (such as pasture for grazing or cropping) following harvest. By committing to re-establish and maintain the forest, potentially transitioning from short-rotation hardwood (blue gum) to long-rotation softwood (radiata pine), the project prevents the release of soil and biomass carbon that would occur if the land were reverted to agriculture.

The surrounding Green Triangle region is one of Australia’s premier forestry zones, characterized by a reliable high-rainfall climate (typically 600mm–850mm annually) and fertile soils often derived from volcanic ash and limestone geology. These conditions are ideal for rapid tree growth, supporting the region's extensive pine and blue gum plantations.

An interesting facet of this project is the collaboration between the new owner, OneFortyOne, and the carbon manager, SFM Environmental Solutions. SFM was retained to manage the carbon and hardwood assets after the estate's sale, leveraging their historical knowledge of the property to optimize carbon sequestration. The "S3" in the project name likely refers to Schedule 3 of the methodology, while "Millard" denotes the specific forest block or property identifier within the larger estate.