Howson Carbon Project 1

Howson Carbon Project 1 is a soil carbon sequestration project located at Tarramba, approximately 40km southwest of Biloela in Central Queensland. Registered in March 2022, the project covers 408 hectares of grazing land within the Banana Shire. The region is a significant agricultural hub known primarily for beef cattle production, cotton, and broadacre cropping.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This high-integrity method involves establishing a baseline of soil organic carbon (SOC) through physical core sampling, followed by the implementation of new land management activities designed to increase SOC levels. Credits are generated based on the measured increase in carbon stocks over time, often utilizing hybrid approaches that combine physical measurement with predictive modelling to reduce sampling costs.

Environmental conditions in the Banana Shire are characterized by a semi-arid to subtropical climate, with the wider Howson aggregation recording an average annual rainfall of approximately 620mm. The landscape typically features cracking clay soils (Vertosols) and texture-contrast soils common to the Brigalow Belt, which are highly responsive to regenerative grazing management.

This project is part of a broader aggregation known as the "Howson Carbon Project" managed by the Gunthorpe Cattle Company (Tarramba Brahmans). The operators have implemented time-controlled rotational grazing, improved watering infrastructure to subdivide paddocks, and invested in legume and pasture rejuvenation to boost biomass. Notably, the wider Howson aggregation is a Producer Demonstration Site for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and has successfully generated Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) within two years of operation, demonstrating the viability of soil carbon projects in the region.