Swartz Carbon Project 3

Swartz Carbon Project 3 is a soil organic carbon sequestration project located at Calliweera Farm in the Fitzroy Basin region, approximately 60km northwest of Rockhampton in Queensland. It was registered in March 2022 and covers 259.02 hectares.

Soil carbon projects aim to increase the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils by changing land management practices. This specific project achieves this by altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of grazing to improve soil health, addressing material deficiencies by applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers, and re-establishing or rejuvenating pasture through seeding. In November 2025, the project transitioned from an older 2018 methodology to the updated 2021 Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models methodology.

The Fitzroy Basin area is heavily dominated by agriculture, with cattle grazing being the primary land use. The Central Queensland region experiences a predominantly subtropical climate characterized by moderate but highly variable rainfall, featuring a distinct summer wet season and a prolonged dry season. Soils in the basin vary widely but generally include highly productive black soil alluvium on the floodplains, as well as areas of cracking clays and basalt.

Swartz Carbon Project 3 is one of 11 individual soil carbon projects managed by the Warnock family across their 4,000-hectare Calliweera Farm property, which has been in the family since 1879. Partnering with the project agent AgriProve, the Warnocks transitioned from set stocking to high-density rotational grazing. To facilitate this intensive pasture management, they installed 75 kilometres of electric fencing and 56 new watering points across the broader farm. These changes improved soil health, noticeably reduced sediment runoff, and allowed the property to safely double its carrying capacity from 500 to 1,000 head of cattle, all while generating thousands of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) across their collective projects.