Howson Carbon Project 14

Howson Carbon Project 14 is a soil carbon sequestration project located on the "Tarramba" property, approximately 40 kilometers northeast of Theodore in the Banana Shire of Central Queensland. Registered in March 2022, the project covers a specific 328.89-hectare area within a larger grazing enterprise managed by Adam and Tracy Gunthorpe, known as Gunthorpe Cattle Company or Tarramba Brahmans. The region is a significant hub for beef production, characterized by broadacre grazing lands and dryland cropping.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which credits landholders for measurable increases in soil organic carbon (SOC). To achieve this, the proponents have implemented changes to land management designed to build carbon stocks, such as installing new watering systems and fencing to enable rotational grazing. These changes allow for rest periods that improve ground cover and biomass, often supplemented by the introduction of legumes and improved grass species. The project requires rigorous soil sampling to establish a baseline and subsequent rounds of measurement (or modeling) to quantify the carbon sequestered over time.

Environmentally, the site sits within a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate zone with an average annual rainfall of approximately 620mm. The soil composition in this part of the Brigalow Belt typically consists of fertile, cracking clay soils (Vertosols) and loamy earths, which are highly responsive to improved management practices but also prone to erosion if vegetation cover is lost.

A notable aspect of this project is its rapid success; alongside its sister project (Howson Carbon Project 7), it was among the first under the 2021 methodology to receive Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) within just two years of registration. The property also serves as a Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) for Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), researching how soil carbon projects can help the red meat industry reach its Carbon Neutral 2030 (CN30) target.