Balmoral Farm Carbon Project

The Balmoral Farm Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Goondiwindi region of southern Queensland, approximately 60km northeast of the township of Goondiwindi. Registered in September 2023, the project covers a project area of roughly 310 hectares. The surrounding region is part of the Darling Downs, a renowned agricultural hub heavily utilized for mixed farming operations, including broadacre cropping and livestock grazing.

This project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Measurement and Models). This method credits landholders for increasing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks through changes in land management practices. Unlike purely measurement-based approaches, this iteration allows for a hybrid use of physical soil sampling and modelled estimates to calculate carbon abatement, potentially reducing the cost of measurement over time. Specifically, this project aims to sequester carbon by integrating legume species into existing cropping or pasture systems, which can enhance soil nitrogen levels and biomass production, driving carbon down into the soil profile.

The environmental setting for Balmoral Farm is typical of the Western Downs, characterized by a semi-arid to subtropical climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 600mm to 680mm. The landscape generally features fertile Vertosols, the cracking clay soils famous in the region for their moisture-holding capacity and suitability for grain production, alongside texture-contrast Chromosols. The project proponent, Jack McDonald Pty Ltd, is a long-established family entity in the Goondiwindi district. The business is managed by the McDonald family, who have a multi-generational history in the area, operating a mixed enterprise split between grain and cattle production.