Scullin Carbon Project

The Scullin Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration initiative located near Gresford, approximately 25 kilometers west of Dungog in the Hunter Region of New South Wales. Registered in March 2021, the project covers a land area of roughly 111 hectares within the Dungog Shire Council. The surrounding region is predominantly utilized for grazing beef cattle and dairy farming, characterized by its rolling hills and river valleys.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems) Methodology Determination 2018. This methodology rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon levels through improved management practices. Specific to this project, the primary activity involves altering the stocking rate, duration, or intensity of grazing. By optimising grazing pressure, the project aims to enhance pasture growth and root biomass, which in turn sequesters atmospheric carbon into the soil profile.

Environmentally, the Gresford and Dungog region typically falls into a warm temperate climate zone with high rainfall, averaging between 900mm and 1100mm annually. The soils in this area are generally productive, often consisting of clay loams, Kurosols, or Ferrosols derived from the region's complex geology. These conditions, reliable moisture and responsive soils, are considered favourable for soil carbon projects, as they support the consistent vegetative growth necessary to build soil organic matter.

The project is managed by AgriProve Solutions, a prominent developer in the Australian soil carbon sector. While specific issuance data for the Scullin project indicates it is likely in its performance or reporting phase (common for projects registered in 2021 given the multi-year baselining requirements), AgriProve has successfully generated credits for other projects in the Dungog area, demonstrating the viability of the method in this specific landscape. The company typically employs a combination of physical soil core sampling and satellite imagery to monitor changes in soil health over the 25-year crediting period.