Leonard Springs Carbon Project (Revoked)

Leonard Springs Carbon Project (Revoked) is an agricultural soil carbon project located in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, approximately 150km southeast of Melbourne. Registered in March 2017, the project covers a total area of 250.02 hectares. The South Gippsland region is widely recognized for its highly productive agricultural lands, predominantly utilized for dairy, beef, and sheep grazing. The local environment falls under a high rainfall classification, typically receiving well over 700mm annually, and features a variety of soil types, including brown sodosols, clay loams, and sandy podsols, that are exceptionally well-suited for sustaining intense pasture growth.

Operating under the Sequestering Carbon in Soils in Grazing Systems (2014) methodology, this project type involves implementing new agricultural management practices designed to increase the amount of organic carbon stored within the soil profile. Standard requirements for this soil carbon methodology include establishing a baseline carbon level, adopting eligible land management activities (such as pasture rejuvenation or altered grazing patterns), and undergoing rigorous direct soil sampling or modelling to track carbon sequestration over the crediting period.

The primary activity for the Leonard Springs Carbon Project was rejuvenating pastures to increase carbon in the grazing system. According to industry reports and international case studies, the project utilized "Soilkee," a novel Australian farming technology. The Soilkee system is a specialized pasture cropping approach that mechanically improves rainfall infiltration while oversowing existing pastures with a diverse mixture of cover crops, such as oats, peas, tillage radish, and clovers. This approach is designed to provide high-quality stock feed while fixing nitrogen and enhancing soil carbon storage. Corporate Carbon Solutions Pty Ltd acted as the project proponent and aggregator, working with landholders to implement these practices and manage regulatory compliance.

Despite being highlighted globally as a pioneering example of pasture cropping in carbon markets, the Leonard Springs Carbon Project was officially revoked under Section 30 of the CFI Rule on August 23, 2024. Earlier in its lifecycle, the project secured a fixed delivery carbon abatement contract (CAC695911) during the April 2017 ERF auction. Public registry data indicates this contract committed 375,000 ACCUs but eventually concluded on July 29, 2022, and was recorded as lapsed or terminated with zero abatement volume sold to the Commonwealth.