Sandalwood Carbon Project

Sandalwood Carbon Project is a soil carbon project located near Wrattonbully, roughly 25km halfway between the major towns of Naracoorte and Penola in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. It was registered on October 26, 2015, and currently covers a project area of 87.64 hectares.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models methodology. Soil carbon projects of this type involve altering agricultural land management practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. Standard requirements dictate that proponents must establish a baseline through rigorous soil core sampling, implement one or more eligible new management activities, and perform ongoing measurements to calculate and verify the volume of carbon sequestered over time.

The Limestone Coast region is predominantly utilized for sheep and beef cattle grazing, forestry plantations, cropping, and viticulture. The area experiences a reliable Mediterranean climate classified as moderate to high rainfall for the state, typically receiving between 500mm and 600mm annually. Soils in this vicinity are famously composed of terra rossa (red clay loam over limestone) as well as sandy loams, providing excellent agricultural potential.

To build soil carbon, the Sandalwood Carbon Project focuses on altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of its grazing operations to promote robust soil vegetation cover and improve overall soil health. Additionally, nutrients are applied to the land using synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to directly address material soil deficiencies and support plant growth.

Interestingly, the project secured an active Commonwealth Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC102388) during the November 2015 auction, committing to sell generated Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to the government. The project has a 25-year permanence period extending out to 2051. Over its lifespan, it has undergone several administrative variations, including area amendments in 2018 and reductions in 2020. More recently, in late 2025, the project underwent a variation of proponent, transferring from Corporate Carbon Solutions Pty Ltd to Agriprove Solutions Pty Ltd, alongside successfully transitioning its governing methodology from the older 2014 determination to the updated 2021 measurement and models method.