Norman River Carbon Project (Revoked)

The Norman River Carbon Project (Revoked) was a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Central Highlands region of Queensland, approximately 110km southwest of Springsure and east of Tambo. Registered in April 2015, the project covered a substantial area of 16,275 hectares within the Central Highlands Regional Council area. The project was managed by Corporate Carbon Solutions Pty Ltd but was voluntarily revoked in November 2023 under Section 30 of the Carbon Farming Initiative Rule.

Operating under the Sequestering Carbon in Soils in Grazing Systems methodology (2014), the project aimed to increase soil organic carbon levels by modifying land management practices. This methodology requires landholders to implement new activities, such as rejuvenating pastures, altering stocking densities, or implementing cell grazing, to encourage biomass growth and retention in the soil. Unlike tree-planting projects, this method focuses on the chemical and biological storage of carbon within the soil profile itself.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate with summer-dominant rainfall, typical of Queensland's cattle grazing belt. The landscape generally supports open woodlands and grasslands, with soils in the area often consisting of Vertosols (cracking clays) or Dermosols, which are suitable for grazing but require careful management to maintain carbon levels. The project's revocation suggests it may have been cancelled before the commencement of its permanence period or following a strategic decision by the proponent, as Section 30 revocations are typically voluntary.