Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #27

Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #27 is a plantation forestry project located approximately 10 kilometers northeast of Kilkivan and 45 kilometers west of Gympie in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland. Registered in September 2025, the project covers 211 hectares within the South Burnett local government area. The surrounding region is historically characterized by a mix of forestry (pine and hardwood plantations) and beef cattle grazing, often on native pastures or improved scrub soils.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, this project involves transitioning an existing commercial plantation into a permanent forest. Instead of the standard commercial cycle where trees are harvested and the land potentially converted to non-forest uses (such as grazing), the trees are retained permanently to act as a carbon sink. This activity requires demonstrating that the plantation was at risk of conversion to non-forested land, thereby ensuring the carbon stored would have otherwise been released or lost.

Environmentally, the Kilkivan area experiences a subtropical climate with average annual rainfall of approximately 870mm, which is conducive to both forestry and pasture growth. The local terrain typically features river terraces and rolling hills with soils that vary from sandy loams on lower terraces to hard-setting loamy yellow or red podzolic soils in higher areas. The project is part of a broader portfolio managed by the proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, a subsidiary of GreenCollar. The "Great Barrier Reef Initiative" naming convention suggests this site is part of a larger aggregation of environmental projects designed to improve catchment health in river systems flowing towards the Reef.