Cotton Panic Carbon Project (Revoked)

Cotton Panic Carbon Project (Revoked) is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 4km southwest of Bombala in the Snowy Monaro region of NSW. It was registered in October 2017 and covers a modest area of 12.84ha.

Soil carbon in grazing systems projects involve changing agricultural management practices, such as altering grazing patterns, modifying stocking densities, or adding nutrients, to draw down and store atmospheric carbon in the soil profile over time.

The Bombala area is heavily focused on the pastoral industry, with sheep and cattle grazing dominating the surrounding tablelands. The region sits at an elevation of over 700 metres and typically experiences a temperate climate with moderate rainfall averaging around 585mm annually. The soils in this region are generally duplex types such as naturally hardsetting Chromosols and Dermosols.

This project aimed to increase carbon in the soil by optimising plant growth through integrated pasture cropping, which combined mixed species selection, nitrogen fixation, soil amendments, and fodder mulching. Interestingly, the project was specifically targeted in a Monash University research survey exploring the effectiveness of the Emissions Reduction Fund in supporting sustainable soil management among NSW graziers. Ultimately, the project was revoked in August 2024 under section 30 of the CFI Rule.