Chapmans Peak Schedule 4 Carbon Project 2025

Chapmans Peak Schedule 4 Carbon Project 2025 is a plantation forestry project located in the Clarence Valley local government area, approximately 40km northwest of Grafton in New South Wales. It was registered in August 2025 and covers an area of 331.36 hectares.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it falls under Schedule 4 of the method, which involves transitioning an existing short-rotation or commercial plantation forest into a permanent, not-for-harvest planting. This methodology requires proponents to demonstrate that, under a "business as usual" scenario, the plantation is at financial risk of being cleared and converted into non-forested agricultural land. Standard requirements dictate that the project must maintain adequate tree stocking density, undergo regular weed and feral animal control, and legally protect the plantation as a permanent carbon store for the nominated permanence period, which in this case is 25 years.

The broader Clarence Valley area is traditionally known for extensive cattle grazing, broadacre cropping, and commercial forestry operations. The region experiences a mild sub-tropical climate with high annual rainfall, typically ranging between 1,070mm and 1,200mm. Soils in the surrounding bioregion vary widely but are generally characterized by alluvial Vertosols along the river floodplains, transitioning into sodic Kurosols and hardsetting clay subsoils in the elevated inland areas where timber plantations are most viable.

This project is managed by Chapmans Peak Investments Pty Limited (acting as trustee for the Chapmans Peak Investment Unit Trust) with JB Carbon Services Pty Ltd operating as the primary agent. An interesting note regarding the project's timeline is that on March 27, 2026, a variation to the project area was registered, which resulted in several specific land parcels being removed from the originally listed project boundaries.