AKD's 2026 Schedule 3 Project

AKD's 2026 Schedule 3 Project is a plantation forestry project located across multiple parcels in Western Victoria, with sites situated approximately 20km south of Colac in the Otway region, and further west near Dartmoor in the Green Triangle region near the South Australian border. It was registered in June 2026 and covers a total area of 438.57 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects involve sequestering carbon by establishing, maintaining, or modifying plantation forests intended for the commercial harvesting of wood products. This specific project earns carbon credits by avoiding the conversion of an existing or harvested plantation to non-forested land and continuing the plantation. Standard requirements for this methodology mandate that the newly established or maintained trees reach adequate stocking densities to form a permanent forest canopy, typically requiring a minimum of 20% crown cover and a potential height of at least 2 metres.

The Colac and Green Triangle regions are widely known for their significant commercial softwood forestry operations, predominantly radiata pine, operating alongside traditional agriculture such as dairy, sheep, and beef cattle grazing. These areas experience a temperate climate with moderate to high reliable rainfall. The soils generally consist of sandy loams, chromosols, and fertile granitic or basaltic clay loams, which provide ideal growing conditions for commercial timber.

The project proponent, Associated Kiln Driers Pty. Limited (trading as AKD Softwoods), is a 100% Australian-owned integrated forestry and timber processing company founded by an association of local families in Colac in 1955. Today, AKD is one of Australia's largest softwood log processors. Maintaining these plantations not only generates carbon offsets but also secures vital local timber supplies for AKD’s regional milling operations, ensuring a steady production of structural timber and supporting regional employment.