Koojan Downs Soil Project

Koojan Downs Soil Project is a soil carbon farming project located at the Koojan Downs Feeding Facility, approximately 25km south-west of Moora and roughly 160km north of Perth in Western Australia. It was registered in March 2021 (with its crediting period start date later adjusted to September 2021) and covers an area of 6,714.11 ha across the Moora, Dandaragan, and Victoria Plains local government areas.

The Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems methodology involves sequestering carbon in agricultural soils by adopting new or materially different land management practices and empirically measuring the changes in soil carbon against an established baseline.

The surrounding Wheatbelt region is known for its relatively high and reliable rainfall and premium quality arable soil types, making it highly suitable for intensive livestock grazing and broadacre cropping. The regional land use heavily features cattle farming, with Koojan Downs itself serving as Western Australia's largest cattle feedlot and backgrounding facility.

To build soil carbon and address material soil deficiencies, the project activities involve applying synthetic and non-synthetic nutrients to the land. Specifically, the project collects natural waste (manure) from the intensive cattle feeding facility and redistributes it across the surrounding paddocks. This not only sequesters carbon into the soil but also improves soil health by increasing water retention and promoting biological activity.

An interesting fact about this project is that the proponent, Harvest Road Agribusiness (owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest), estimates the project will generate roughly 5,600 Australian Carbon Credit Units per annum over its 25-year lifespan. Additionally, the broader facility is designed around a strict animal welfare philosophy; cattle are kept at lower stocking densities with more space per animal than standard feedlot practices.