Fairbairn Carbon project

The Fairbairn Carbon project is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 45km east of Dubbo in the Central West region of New South Wales. Registered in August 2021, the project initially covered a larger footprint but now operates across 222.44 hectares following a variation in March 2022 that removed specific areas from the project boundary.

Soil carbon projects under the 2018 methodology involve implementing new management activities to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. In this specific instance, the project focuses on altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of grazing to encourage vegetation growth and soil health. The proponent, Agriprove Solutions Pty Ltd, is a major developer in this sector, partnering with landholders to manage the baseline sampling, reporting, and credit issuance.

The Dubbo and Wellington region is a significant agricultural hub known as the "wheat-sheep belt." The area typically experiences a temperate climate with an annual rainfall of approximately 580mm to 600mm, which is often summer-dominant. The landscape is characterized by mixed farming, including cropping and livestock grazing. Soils in this vicinity are varied but frequently include Red Brown Earths (Chromosols), cracking clays (Vertosols), and Sodosols, which are productive but require careful management to prevent erosion and acidification.

The project is designed to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by measuring the incremental increase in soil organic carbon over time compared to a baseline. The variation noted in 2022 suggests a refinement of the project area, possibly to exclude non-compliant land or areas where the new management activities could not be effectively applied.