McBride Carbon Project

The McBride Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration initiative located in the locality of Monarto South, approximately 15 kilometers west of Murray Bridge in South Australia. Registered on June 11, 2021, the project covers 234.80 hectares within the Rural City of Murray Bridge local government area. The region is characterized by a semi-arid, Mediterranean climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 300-350mm, supporting mixed farming and grazing operations.

Operating under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems) Methodology Determination 2018, the project aims to increase soil organic carbon stocks through modified land management practices. Specific activities implemented on the property include altering stocking rates to manage grazing intensity, retaining crop stubble, converting to reduced or no-tillage systems, and applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies. These changes are designed to improve soil health and sequester carbon, which is measured through physical soil sampling and analysis over the project's 25-year crediting period.

The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions Pty Ltd, a prominent developer of soil carbon projects in Australia. It is part of a larger aggregated carbon abatement contract (CAC808228) held by Agriprove, which bundles multiple soil carbon projects to deliver over 2 million Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to the Clean Energy Regulator. The project name suggests a likely connection to the McBride family (AJ & PA McBride Ltd), one of South Australia's oldest and largest pastoral companies, who own extensive grazing properties throughout the state. The local landscape typically features sandy loam soils over red clay or calcareous subsoils, common in the Monarto Land System.