Moora Plains Soil Carbon Project

Moora Plains Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located at Gogango, approximately 65km west of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Registered in January 2017, the project covers 3,554 hectares of cattle grazing country situated along the banks of the Fitzroy River. The region is characterized by a semi-arid, summer-dominant rainfall climate receiving approximately 615mm annually. The landscape features heavy clay soils (Vertosols) typical of the Central Highlands and Fitzroy Basin, which have high water-holding capacity but require careful management to prevent degradation.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models), having transitioned from earlier 2014 and 2018 versions. The project activity involves a shift from continuous grazing to intensive, time-controlled rotational grazing. By upgrading water infrastructure and fencing, the proponents (the Lawrie family) were able to significantly increase stocking density, doubling it in some paddocks, while simultaneously increasing pasture rest periods to up to 300 days. This "pulse grazing" strategy allows deep-rooted perennial grasses to establish, improving soil aeration and water infiltration, which drives the sequestration of organic carbon deep into the soil profile.

Moora Plains is widely considered a flagship success story for the Australian soil carbon industry. In 2023, alongside the "Rexton" project, it was part of the first large-scale issuance of soil carbon credits in Australia under the modern measured methodologies. Analysis by the service provider, Carbon Link, indicated the property sequestered approximately 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) for every tonne of livestock grazed, effectively making the beef production on the property carbon negative. The project has successfully demonstrated that regenerative grazing can improve carrying capacity and drought resilience while generating significant carbon credit revenue.