Lazzarini Carbon Project 2

Lazzarini Carbon Project 2 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, approximately 16km south-southwest of the small town of Ariah Park and 40km west of the regional hub, Temora. Registered in September 2021, the project currently covers a project area of 306.55 hectares. The surrounding region is part of the "wheat-sheep belt," heavily utilized for mixed farming operations that combine winter cropping (wheat, canola) with livestock grazing.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This method credits landholders for increasing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks. Unlike the 2018 method it replaced, the 2021 version allows proponents to use a "hybrid" approach, combining physical soil core sampling with validated computer models. This significantly reduces the cost of ongoing measurement, as physical sampling (which is expensive) is required less frequently. The project activities include altering stocking rates to improve vegetation cover, converting to reduced tillage, and retaining crop stubble, all designed to build carbon mass in the soil profile.

Environmentally, the site sits within a temperate, semi-arid zone with a mean annual rainfall of approximately 520mm, which is winter-dominant. The soil types in the Temora/Ariah Park region are predominantly Chromosols (Red Brown Earths) and clay loams. These soils are productive but can be susceptible to structure decline if over-tilled; thus, the project's focus on reduced tillage and stubble retention is particularly beneficial for soil health in this landscape.

An interesting aspect of this project is its administrative history. In October 2023, the proponent, Agriprove, successfully varied the method from the 2018 determination to the 2021 determination, likely to take advantage of the cost-saving modelling provisions. Additionally, in June 2024, the project area was varied to remove specific land parcels. This "carving out" of land is a common optimization strategy in soil carbon projects, where areas that are unlikely to sequester carbon (such as rocky outcrops, saline patches, or infrastructure) are removed from the project boundary to improve the overall carbon yield per hectare. A sister project, Lazzarini Carbon Project 1 (ERF154563), was registered on the same day, suggesting a multi-title farm aggregation.