Spicer Carbon Project

The Spicer Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Australian Capital Territory, approximately 12km northwest of Canberra's city centre. Situated near the peri-urban fringe of West Belconnen (close to the suburb of Holt and the NSW border at Wallaroo), the project was registered in September 2021 and covers a small agricultural holding of roughly 64 hectares. The surrounding region is characterized by undulating grazing land often used for sheep and cattle, interspersed with conservation corridors near the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo rivers.

This project operates under the 2018 Soil Carbon Methodology, which rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon levels through changes in land management. Specific activities employed on this property include altering stocking rates to manage grazing intensity, applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to correct nutrient deficiencies, and rejuvenating pastures through seeding. By optimizing pasture health and root density, the project aims to draw more carbon from the atmosphere into the soil profile.

The environment in this part of the Southern Tablelands is temperate, with warm summers and cold winters. The average annual rainfall is approximately 600-650mm. The soils in the West Belconnen and Wallaroo area are typically Red Chromosols (red podzolic soils) or acidic texture-contrast soils, which can be highly responsive to improved nutrient management and pasture establishment. The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions, a prominent aggregator specializing in soil carbon projects across Australia.