Chatsworth House Carbon Pty Ltd ATF Chatsworth House Carbon Trust

Chatsworth House Carbon Pty Ltd ATF Chatsworth House Carbon Trust is a soil carbon project located at Chatsworth House in Victoria's Western District, approximately 50km north of Warrnambool. It was registered in February 2021 and covers 2,339.81 hectares.

This project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models Methodology Determination 2021. Soil carbon projects involve implementing new or materially different agricultural land management practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. The 2021 methodology requires proponents to establish a baseline soil carbon level and demonstrate sequestration over time through direct measurement, such as soil sampling, and/or modelling.

The Western District region of Victoria is historically known for extensive livestock operations, primarily grazing sheep and beef cattle. The environmental conditions typically feature a temperate climate with reliable, moderate rainfall. The soils in this volcanic plain region are predominantly deep, hard-setting heavy clays derived from basalt.

The specific project activity involves applying nutrients to the land in the form of a synthetic or non-synthetic fertiliser to address a material deficiency. This encourages pasture growth, which in turn builds soil carbon. Notably, the historic Chatsworth House estate is managed by Sarah and Tom Whinney, who have transitioned the property towards regenerative agriculture. Running composite sheep and Angus cattle, the Whinneys focus on holistic ecological health, rotational grazing, and soil restoration. The carbon project originally commenced under the 2018 soil carbon methodology before varying to the 2021 methodology in August 2022, and it involves Carbon Link Operations Pty Ltd as a key project agent.