Chaney Carbon Project

Chaney Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Biloela in the Banana Shire region of Central Queensland. Registered in January 2022, the project covers roughly 180 hectares of agricultural land. The Banana Shire is a significant hub for beef production, dryland cropping, and irrigation, situated within the Brigalow Belt, a region characterized by its fertile but variable soil landscapes.

The project operates under the 2021 Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models methodology. This framework rewards landholders for increasing soil carbon stocks through specific management changes. For the Chaney Carbon Project, these activities include applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies, establishing or rejuvenating pasture through seeding, and altering grazing intensity or duration. By measuring the baseline soil carbon and demonstrating an increase over time through sampling and modelling, the project generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

Environmental conditions in the Biloela region are classified as semi-arid to sub-tropical, with a summer-dominant rainfall average of approximately 600mm to 700mm per year. The soils in this area are typically cracking clays (Vertosols) or texture-contrast soils (Sodosols/Chromosols), which are capable of significant carbon storage when managed with regenerative grazing and pasture cropping techniques. An interesting contextual note is that the Banana Shire is also a centre for power generation and coal mining (home to the Callide Power Station), placing this carbon sequestration project in the same locality as significant industrial emissions sources.