Howson Carbon Project 5

Howson Carbon Project 5 is a soil carbon project located in the Banana Shire, approximately 25km southeast of the town of Banana in Central Queensland. Registered in March 2022, the project covers roughly 208 hectares and is part of the larger "Tarramba" aggregation operated by the Gunthorpe family, who are well-known for their Tarramba Brahmans cattle stud.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Measurement and Models). This method requires landholders to estimate baseline soil carbon stocks through physical sampling and then implement management activities designed to increase those stocks over time. For this specific project, activities include altering stocking rates to match carrying capacity and rejuvenating pastures, likely through the introduction of legumes or improved grass species to increase biomass and ground cover.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 620mm. The landscape in this part of the Dawson River Valley typically features fertile Vertosols (cracking clay soils) and Brigalow scrub soils, which are highly responsive to improved grazing management.

An interesting aspect of this operation is that Howson Carbon Project 5 is just one of 15 individual soil carbon projects registered across the Gunthorpe's 20,000-acre enterprise. By splitting the property into multiple projects, the proponents can stagger their baselining and reporting cycles. The broader Howson aggregation has been recognized as a high-performing example of soil carbon farming, with other projects in the group already successfully issuing Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) within two years of registration, a rapid turnaround for soil carbon projects.