McLachlan Carbon Project

McLachlan Carbon Project is a soil carbon project located at Rocking Chair Farm in Marshdale, approximately 70km north of Newcastle in the Hunter region of New South Wales. It was registered in January 2021 and covers a project area of 93.88 hectares.

Soil carbon projects under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology involve introducing new or materially different agricultural management practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. Standard requirements include undertaking baseline soil sampling, changing land management practices, and undertaking subsequent sampling or modelling to verify carbon gains. For this project, the landholders improved soil health by altering the stocking rate and intensity of grazing, as well as rejuvenating pastures with multi-species sowing.

The Dungog and Marshdale area is primarily known for beef cattle grazing, dairy, and mixed farming. The region experiences a high rainfall climate, with a long-term annual average of approximately 1,114mm. Soils in the area generally consist of fertile podzolics and river valley alluvials.

This project, run by landholders John Monaghan and Alan Smith, operates alongside a mixed farming enterprise of beef cattle, sheep, and pastured eggs. Notably, it was the first soil carbon project in New South Wales to be issued Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), receiving its first issuance of 2,110 ACCUs in 2023. During a run of highly variable seasons, the landholders reduced their cattle herd from roughly 95 to 50 to match available feed and protect ground cover, while subdividing their paddocks from seven to 25 to implement adaptive rotational grazing. It is now one of only a handful of soil carbon projects in Australia to receive a second issuance under the 2021 method, bringing its total to 6,060 ACCUs.