Howson Carbon Project 1

Howson Carbon Project 1 is a soil carbon project located approximately 30km southeast of Moura and 40km southwest of Biloela in the Banana Shire of Central Queensland. It was registered in March 2022 and covers 408.29ha.

Soil carbon projects operating under the Measurement and Models methodology involve implementing new agricultural management practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil, which is then verified through baseline and subsequent physical measurements. For this specific project, the eligible activities include altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of cattle grazing, as well as rejuvenating pastures through seeding or pasture cropping to promote soil vegetation cover and improve overall soil health.

The Central Queensland and Dawson Valley region is renowned for its extensive cattle grazing, broadacre cropping, and robust coal mining operations. The local environment typically experiences a sub-tropical climate with moderate, summer-dominant rainfall. The soils in this pastoral district generally feature fertile brigalow clays, such as cracking vertosols, and loams that are well-suited to sustained agricultural production.

This project is part of a major aggregation established by the Gunthorpe family on their 20,000-acre Brahman and Brangus stud, "Tarramba". Partnering with AgriProve, the property integrates 15 individual soil carbon projects and currently operates at a beyond net-zero carbon intensity, meaning the farm sequesters more carbon than it emits. Notably, Tarramba serves as an integrated research Producer Demonstration Site for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), taking part in a six-year study on how multi-species pasture cropping and rotational grazing can help the red meat industry achieve its carbon-neutral by 2030 (CN30) target.