Howson Carbon Project 5

Howson Carbon Project 5 is a soil carbon project located roughly 30km southeast of Moura and 40km southwest of Biloela in Central Queensland. It was registered in March 2022 and covers a project area of 207.81 hectares.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models 2021 methodology. This method requires landholders to undertake new, eligible agricultural management activities, such as altering the stocking rate, duration, or intensity of grazing, and rejuvenating pastures by seeding or pasture cropping, to increase the carbon stored in the agricultural system. The resulting sequestered carbon is then verified over time using a combination of direct one-metre soil core sampling and laboratory modelling.

The Central Queensland region surrounding the Banana Shire is heavily utilized for beef cattle farming and broadacre cropping. The environment experiences a sub-tropical, semi-arid to sub-humid climate characterized by variable, summer-dominant rainfall. Soils in this portion of the Brigalow Belt generally consist of highly fertile cracking clays (vertosols) and loams, which are well-suited to supporting pasture improvement and retaining soil organic carbon.

This specific project is part of a much broader 15-project aggregation known collectively as the Howson Carbon Project, taking place across the 20,000-acre "Tarramba" property. Managed by Adam and Tracy Gunthorpe under the Gunthorpe Cattle Company, the agribusiness incorporates a Brahman and Brangus stud operation, cross-bred breeding cows, and a backgrounding enterprise. Working alongside project developer AgriProve, the landholders have implemented intensive rotational grazing driven by new data software, constructed 45km of subdivision fencing, expanded watering systems, and planted multi-species legumes and grasses to rapidly build soil biomass. Notably, the Tarramba property has been selected by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) as one of three national Producer Demonstration Sites. This six-year research initiative is exploring how soil carbon projects can improve farm resilience and help the Australian red meat industry achieve its carbon-neutral by 2030 (CN30) target.