Whitlam Carbon Project 3

Whitlam Carbon Project 3 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Upper South East region of South Australia, approximately 20km northwest of the town of Keith. Registered on April 2, 2022, the project covers an area of 185.18 hectares. The region is predominantly used for mixed farming, combining dryland cropping with sheep and cattle grazing, and is situated within the Coorong District Council area.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This method allows project proponents to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Unlike earlier methods that relied solely on physical sampling, this version allows for the use of predictive models to estimate carbon change between sampling rounds, potentially reducing compliance costs. To generate credits, the project must implement new or materially different management activities, in this case, applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies, retaining crop stubble, and converting from intensive tillage to reduced or no-tillage practices.

Environmentally, the landscape near Keith and Tintinara is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 450mm to 500mm. The soil types in this region typically consist of sandy loams over clay or deep siliceous sands (often referred to as "mallee" soils) and calcareous earth, which can vary significantly in fertility and water-holding capacity. These soils often benefit from improved organic matter management to combat issues such as wind erosion and low nutrient retention.

The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions Pty Ltd, Australia's largest developer of soil carbon projects. The "Whitlam" project designation appears to be part of a series (including Whitlam Carbon Project 1), suggesting a larger property or farming aggregation that has been segmented into multiple project areas to manage baselining and crediting more effectively.