Swartz Carbon Project 7

Swartz Carbon Project 7 is a soil carbon sequestration project located on the Calliweera Farm aggregation, approximately 50km northwest of Rockhampton in the Fitzroy Basin region of Queensland. Registered in March 2022, the project covers roughly 384 hectares of agricultural grazing land. The region is predominantly used for cattle grazing, utilizing the vast natural pastures typical of Central Queensland.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This method requires landholders to implement new management activities to build carbon stocks in the soil, which are then verified through physical soil sampling and modeling. Standard requirements involve establishing a baseline soil carbon level and demonstrating distinct operational changes, such as moving from set stocking to rotational grazing.

Environmentally, the Fitzroy Basin is characterized by a sub-tropical, summer-dominant rainfall pattern, typically receiving between 600mm and 800mm annually. The local soil profile likely features Vertosols (cracking clays) and Dermosols, which are common in the region's grazing lands and known for their fertility and water-holding capacity.

A notable aspect of this project is its integration into a larger aggregation managed by the Warnock family, who have farmed the area for five generations. The Swartz Carbon Projects have achieved rapid success, generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) within just two years of operation, significantly faster than the typical five-year timeframe. Through the adoption of rotational grazing and improved pasture management, the proponents report increasing their stocking rate by 100% while simultaneously improving soil health.