Fysh Carbon Project

The Fysh Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located at Mount Tom, approximately 60km south of Gladstone and near the town of Miriam Vale in Central Queensland. Registered in June 2020, the project originally covered nearly 900 hectares, though this was later reduced to approximately 400 hectares following an area variation in August 2022. The project is situated on a cattle grazing property owned by Robert and Karen Scanlan, which operates within the Gladstone Regional Council area.

The region is characterized by a sub-tropical climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 830mm. The landscape at Mount Tom features light, fragile sandy soils that are historically prone to erosion. The project area was specifically identified for its potential to improve soil health and resilience through regenerative agricultural practices.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models) Methodology Determination 2021. This "hybrid" methodology allows proponents to estimate soil carbon stocks using a combination of physical soil sampling and digital models, rather than relying solely on expensive physical sampling for every report. The project activities involve re-establishing pasture using a zero-tillage disc drill to sow multi-species forage crops, increasing plant diversity to sequester more carbon, and implementing planned grazing management to protect the new pasture.

A notable milestone for the Australian carbon market, the Fysh Carbon Project was the first to issue Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) under the "digitally enabled" measured-and-modeled pathway. In July 2023, it was reported that the project generated 3,559 ACCUs over two years, achieving a sequestration rate of roughly 4.4 ACCUs per hectare per year. The project is also a participant in the Queensland Government’s Land Restoration Fund (LRF), which recognizes the environmental co-benefits of the land management strategy, such as reduced sediment runoff into the Great Barrier Reef catchment.