Steam Plains Carbon Project

Steam Plains Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located at Steam Plains Station, approximately 35 kilometers north of Conargo and 70 kilometers north of Deniliquin in the Western Riverina region of New South Wales. Registered in August 2020, the project encompasses 1,829 hectares of the much larger historic property.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems) Methodology Determination 2018. This methodology requires landholders to implement new or materially different management activities, such as nutrient application, pasture rejuvenation, or altering grazing intensity, to increase the stock of carbon stored in the soil. These increases are quantified through physical soil sampling and laboratory analysis compared to a baseline.

The Riverina region is characterized by flat, open floodplains and a semi-arid climate, with Steam Plains itself recording an average annual rainfall of approximately 360mm. The landscape features a mix of native saltbush plains and introduced grasses, supported by rich black soils and heavy riverine clays.

A notable aspect of this project is its location on a high-profile property owned by the Paraway Pastoral Company. While the station spans over 46,000 hectares and is renowned for its large-scale Merino sheep breeding and cattle backgrounding operations, this carbon project targets a specific subset of the land to demonstrate how pasture re-establishment and improved nutrient management can drive soil carbon uplift alongside commercial livestock production.