Blackwood River Farm Soil Carbon Project

Blackwood River Farm Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in Warner Glen, Western Australia, approximately 30km southeast of Margaret River and halfway to the town of Augusta. Registered in June 2022, the project encompasses an area of roughly 81 hectares. The region is part of the renowned South West agricultural zone, primarily utilized for viticulture, dairy, and grazing operations. The property itself sits along the banks of the Blackwood River, featuring over 750 meters of river frontage.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models methodology (2021). This framework allows landholders to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by implementing new management activities that store carbon in the soil. To generate credits, the proponent must conduct baseline soil sampling and introduce specific changes, such as altering stocking rates, re-establishing pastures with legume species, or applying nutrients, and then demonstrate an increase in soil carbon stocks over time through subsequent measurement or modelling.

Environmentally, the Warner Glen area experiences a Mediterranean climate characterized by high winter rainfall, although the region has seen a drying trend in recent years. The local soil profiles are typically gravelly loams or ironstone gravels, often containing significant aluminium and iron content, which can present toxicity challenges for productivity. The landscape includes river plain flats and gentle slopes, which the project aims to manage through regenerative practices to improve water holding capacity and soil biological activity.

The project is managed by the Hazelden family, who trade under the brand "Blackwood River Farm" and produce grass-fed lamb using multispecies pastures. The farm has been featured as a case study for the Lower Blackwood Land Conservation District Committee (LCDC), highlighting their transition to regenerative grazing and their efforts to revegetate riparian zones. The project was the second in the region to register for soil carbon credits, following a nearby vineyard, and aims to achieve carbon neutrality for the enterprise.