Swartz Carbon Project 3

Swartz Carbon Project 3 is a soil carbon sequestration project located on the Calliweera Farm property, approximately 50km northwest of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Registered in March 2022, the project covers roughly 259 hectares of grazing land within the Fitzroy Basin. This specific project is part of a larger aggregation of 11 individual soil carbon projects managed by the Warnock family, who have farmed the region for over five generations.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. This method is a "hybrid" approach that combines physical soil core sampling with computational modeling (such as the RothC model). This allows the proponent to estimate soil carbon changes and generate credits in years where physical sampling does not occur, smoothing out the issuance of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). The project recently varied its method in November 2025 to fully adopt this modeling framework, moving away from the older measurement-only determination.

The region is characterized by a sub-tropical, semi-arid climate with summer-dominant rainfall, typical of the Fitzroy Basin beef cattle hub. The landscape generally consists of fertile Brigalow soils (cracking clays or Vertosols) and alluvial flats, which are highly responsive to management changes but prone to erosion if overgrazed.

A key feature of the Swartz projects is the successful implementation of high-intensity rotational grazing. By investing in new fencing and water infrastructure, the proponents have reportedly transitioned from set stocking to time-controlled grazing. This change has allowed them to nearly double their stocking rate while simultaneously increasing soil carbon levels and reducing sediment runoff, a result that highlights the potential for regenerative agriculture to align profitability with environmental outcomes.