Grassby Carbon Project 4

Grassby Carbon Project 4 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Mid North region of South Australia, approximately 15km north of the town of Gladstone. Registered in May 2022, the project covers a relatively focused area of 443 hectares. The surrounding region is part of the Northern Areas Council and is well-established agricultural land, primarily utilized for mixed farming operations that combine cereal cropping with sheep and cattle grazing.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. This method requires the project proponent to actively manage the land to increase Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) levels. Specific activities for this project include applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies, establishing and maintaining permanent pasture on land that was previously cropped or fallow, and altering grazing intensity or duration to improve soil health. Under this methodology, carbon stocks are quantified using a hybrid approach of physical soil sampling and predictive modelling.

The environment in this part of the Mid North is characterized by a semi-arid to Mediterranean climate with winter-dominant rainfall, averaging between 400mm and 500mm annually. The local landscape, often associated with the Gladstone Land System, typically features gently undulating rises and flats. The soils are predominantly calcareous loams and red clays, which are fertile but can be susceptible to erosion if not carefully managed, a risk this project's focus on pasture cover aims to mitigate. The project is one of a series (including Grassby Carbon Project 1 and 2) developed by Agriprove Solutions, a prominent service provider known for streamlining the registration and management of soil carbon projects for Australian landholders.