Calvert Soil Carbon Project

The Calvert Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the rural locality of Calvert, approximately 30km west of Ipswich in South East Queensland. Registered in August 2022, the project covers a relatively small area of roughly 78 hectares. The region is situated within the catchments west of the Little Liverpool Range and is predominantly utilized for grazing and mixed agriculture.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. This method credits landholders for increasing soil organic carbon levels through changes in land management. In this specific instance, the proponent, Strategic Gas Market Solutions Pty Ltd (acting for the B & P Dillon Business Trust), aims to sequester carbon by altering grazing intensity and duration to improve vegetation cover. Additionally, the project activities include the application of gypsum and lime, suggesting the presence of sodic (dispersive) or acidic soil constraints common to the heavy clay and texture-contrast soils of the Rosewood-Calvert area.

Environmentally, the Calvert region enjoys a sub-tropical climate with a mean annual rainfall of approximately 860mm, which is generally favourable for building soil carbon compared to more arid regions. The local landscape consists of undulating plains often associated with the Walloon Coal Measures, typically hosting Vertosols (cracking clays) and Sodosols. The specific inclusion of gypsum application indicates active management of soil structure to remediate sodicity, a critical step in stabilizing organic matter in these soil types.