Courtice Carbon Project 1

Courtice Carbon Project 1 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Tatiara District of South Australia, approximately 50km north of the regional centre of Bordertown. The project was registered on November 1, 2021, and covers an area of 242.62 hectares. The site is situated in the Upper South East region, an area characterized by mixed farming, grazing, and cropping operations.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems) Methodology Determination 2018. This high-integrity method rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon levels through changes in land management. Key activities implemented on this property include the application of synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies, the re-establishment or rejuvenation of pastures via seeding, and the alteration of grazing stocking rates and intensity. By permanently maintaining new pasture and optimizing grazing pressure, the project aims to sequester atmospheric carbon into the soil profile.

Environmentally, the region typically experiences a Mediterranean climate with a low-to-medium annual rainfall of approximately 400-500mm. The local landscape is often defined by sandy loams or "sand over clay" soil structures, which are common in the Mallee and Upper South East districts. These soils can be highly responsive to improved management practices such as deep-rooted pasture establishment and nutrient balancing, which help overcome natural constraints like water repellence or low fertility. The project is one of several "Courtice" carbon projects in the Tatiara area managed by AgriProve, indicating a broader coordinated effort by the landholder to integrate carbon farming across their operations.