Kulki Carbon Farming Project

The Kulki Carbon Farming Project is a native forest regeneration project located in the Shire of Balonne in southern Queensland. The project area is situated approximately 80 kilometers southwest of the town of Bollon and north of the New South Wales border. Registered in July 2014, the project covers 3,609 hectares of land historically used for grazing sheep and cattle. The region is part of the Mulga Lands bioregion, characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 400mm and predominantly red earth and sandy loam soils that support Acacia (Mulga) and Poplar Box vegetation.

This project operates under the 'Native Forest from Managed Regrowth' methodology. Unlike environmental plantings where trees are manually planted, this method focuses on assisted regeneration. It generates carbon credits by allowing native forests to re-establish on land that was previously cleared for pastoral use. The primary activity involves the cessation of mechanical or chemical clearing and the suppression of regrowth, often coupled with careful management of grazing pressure to protect emerging vegetation.

A notable aspect of the Kulki Carbon Farming Project is its change in management and ownership structure. Originally associated with Devine Agribusiness Carbon, a well-known early aggregator in the Queensland carbon market, the project participant role was transferred in December 2023 to Pastoral Partners Australia. Pastoral Partners Australia is an investment fund managed by Morrison & Co, which focuses on acquiring grazing properties to integrate sustainable protein production with carbon sequestration. This transition reflects a broader industry trend where institutional investment funds are aggregating agricultural assets to manage them for dual carbon and agricultural outcomes.