Fontaine Commercial is preparing to launch a dedicated forestry analytics division in the second half of 2025, targeting the growing institutional appetite for land-based carbon and timber assets.
The new division, to be known as Fontaine Forestry, will focus on asset intelligence, data infrastructure, and market advisory across the carbon sequestration and production forestry sectors. It is expected to concentrate initially on Western Australia’s South West, a region that is beginning to draw attention from long-term investors. According to IbisWorld, Australia’s forestry and logging industry is currently valued at approximately $4 billion.
The launch comes at a time of structural change in the region. In February 2025, the Western Australian Government formally ended native tree logging, aiming to preserve an additional 400,000 hectares of Karri, Jarrah, and Wandoo forest. The decision, paired with the rollout of the Timber Region Transition Grant, has already impacted property values and shifted investment sentiment across parts of the South West.
While some landowners and processors have viewed the policy as a constraint, Fontaine Forestry sees an emerging opportunity. “The fundamentals haven’t disappeared. What’s changed is the lens investors are using,” said Andrew, a source at the firm.
Fontaine Forestry will aim to provide structured insights into areas often underserved by traditional valuation methods. Its work is expected to include biomass mapping, tenure and lease analysis, and carbon yield forecasting — tools designed to evaluate forestry assets not only for harvest potential, but also for long-term climate and ESG strategies.
The idea began taking shape late last year, and while still in its early phases, reflects a deliberate push into environmental asset classes. Few formal partnerships have been announced to date, but the groundwork is being laid for a more data-led approach to forestry and carbon sequestration analysis.
Fontaine Forestry remains a small and focused project for now, but those close to the firm describe it as a natural next step in Fontaine Commercial’s broader strategy — one that may quietly expand in the coming months ahead.
