Charon Point Carbon Project

Charon Point Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 10km southwest of the town of Baralaba in the Banana Shire, Central Queensland. Registered in April 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 6,409 hectares. While the project shares its name with a coastal geographic feature, the coordinates and land titles (such as Lot 9 on Plan KM50) confirm its location on the inland pastoral station known as "Nine," operated by the project proponent Coolum Pastoral Pty Ltd.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. This method is a "hybrid" approach that combines physical soil core sampling with computational modeling (typically using the DayCent or FullCAM models) to estimate carbon stock changes over time. By validating models with on-site measurements, proponents can reduce the cost and frequency of physical sampling compared to measurement-only methods. Project activities aim to build soil health through altered stocking rates, rotational (cell) grazing, and the application of nutrients or seeding to rejuvenate pastures.

The region is characterized by a sub-tropical, semi-arid climate with summer-dominant rainfall averaging approximately 680mm annually. The environmental setting typically consists of brigalow scrub soils and fertile black soil river flats associated with the Dawson River catchment. Public profiles of the proponent, Coolum Pastoral, indicate a strong focus on cell grazing and the use of Leucaena (a deep-rooted legume) to improve cattle productivity and soil condition on their properties, aligning with the project's carbon sequestration goals.

Notably, this project is a long-standing initiative in the Australian market. Originally registered in 2015 under the 2014 soil method, it has successfully navigated multiple legislative updates, transitioning to the 2018 method and subsequently the 2021 method. This demonstrates a sustained commitment to evolving carbon accounting standards. Records also indicate the project previously held a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC614503) which is no longer active, suggesting the proponent may now be targeting the private secondary market or has restructured its offtake arrangements.