Lynch Carbon Project

Lynch Carbon Project is an estimation of soil organic carbon sequestration project located at Willow Creek on the Fleurieu Peninsula, approximately 20km west of Victor Harbor and 90km south of Adelaide in South Australia. It was registered on October 16, 2020, and originally covered 209.07 hectares, though a 2023 area variation and modern management boundaries focus the active carbon project area to 156 hectares.

Soil carbon sequestration projects using measurement and models involve running a defined land management strategy to increase the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils. The methodology requires standard activities such as establishing baseline soil samples, measuring and modeling carbon increases over time, and implementing new practices like altering the stocking rate, duration, or intensity of grazing, and rejuvenating pastures by seeding.

The Fleurieu Peninsula region is highly regarded for its diverse and productive agricultural systems, heavily supporting beef grazing, dairy farming, and horticulture. The region experiences high rainfall, receiving an annual average of about 731-800mm. The local soils typically feature sandy loams and clay loams (often texture-contrast Chromosols), which respond exceptionally well to rotational grazing and pasture improvement strategies.

The project is managed by Derek Walter as part of Koolah Angus Beef, a third-generation enterprise operating on an 800-acre family farm that also hosts the Willow Creek Adventure Camp. To improve soil health, the landholders purchased a Soilkee renovator to assist with pasture cropping, reduced their historical stocking rates, and subdivided paddocks to implement time-managed rotational grazing. Notably, the Lynch Carbon Project is the first soil carbon project in South Australia to be issued Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), generating 641 ACCUs within a two-year period. It is also the first agribusiness in the state to successfully complete AgriProve's Carbon Intensity Assessment, proving the property successfully sequesters more carbon than it emits and operates beyond net-zero.