Bishop Carbon Project

The Bishop Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the locality of Beloka, New South Wales. Situated approximately 8km south of the township of Dalgety and 25km southwest of Cooma, the project sits within the Snowy Monaro Regional Council area. Registered in May 2022, the project covers an area of roughly 128 hectares on the Monaro Tablelands, a region historically dominated by sheep and cattle grazing.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon stocks through changes in land management. Specific activities for the Bishop Carbon Project include applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies, rejuvenating pastures through seeding or cropping, and altering grazing intensity or duration to improve soil vegetation cover.

Environmentally, the Beloka and Dalgety region is characterized by a cool temperate climate with a significant rain shadow effect, often resulting in lower annual rainfall (approximately 500-600mm) compared to the nearby Snowy Mountains. The soils in this area are typically derived from granite (Dermosols and Rudosols), which can be fragile and sandy, though the wider Monaro region also features fertile basalt caps known as the "Maneroo" soil landscape. This project aims to build resilience in these soils, likely combating issues such as erosion and low organic matter common in the granite-derived soils of the district.