Penola Plantations 2026 – P26-6 Penola North

Penola Plantations 2026 – P26-6 Penola North is a plantation forestry project located immediately north of the Penola township in South Australia’s Limestone Coast region. Registered in September 2025, the project covers approximately 103 hectares. The surrounding area, part of the renowned Green Triangle, is a hub for both softwood forestry and viticulture, with the Coonawarra wine region situated nearby.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. Specifically, it utilizes the "avoided conversion" activity, which generates carbon credits by maintaining a plantation that would otherwise be cleared and converted to non-forested land, such as grazing pasture. This involves establishing and maintaining a new rotation of trees, likely Pinus radiata, following the harvest of the previous plantation, ensuring the carbon stored in the timber and soil is preserved rather than released through land-use change.

Environmentally, the Penola region is characterized by a moderate to high rainfall climate, receiving approximately 620–685 mm annually. The soils in this specific locale are often high-quality, free-draining types, including the famous "Terra Rossa" (shallow red loam over limestone) and sandy loams over clay. These conditions are ideal for deep-rooted commercial forestry and support high growth rates for timber production.

The project is managed by Timberlands Pacific Pty Ltd on behalf of the Green Triangle Forest Operating Sub Trust, an institutional investment vehicle focused on sustainable timber assets. This project appears to be part of a broader aggregation of "Penola Plantations 2026" projects (including sites at Nangwarry and Perkins), aimed at securing long-term wood supply while generating supplementary revenue through carbon abatement.