Dungrove Soil Carbon Project

Dungrove Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located on the historic Dungrove Station, approximately 15km northwest of the township of Bothwell in Tasmania's Central Highlands. Registered in August 2023, the project covers 1,817 hectares of the extensive mixed-farming property. The region is primarily defined by sheep and cattle grazing, utilizing the fertile Clyde River Valley floor and the surrounding high country.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon (Measurement and Models) methodology. This framework requires the project proponent to establish a baseline of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks through physical core sampling. Subsequently, specific land management activities, such as altering the stocking rate, duration, or intensity of grazing, are implemented to encourage vegetation cover and soil health. Over time, new measurements and modeling are used to calculate the net carbon sequestered in the soil, generating carbon credits.

Environmentally, the Bothwell region and Central Highlands experience a cool-temperate climate with cold winters. While rainfall can be variable, often ranging between 600mm and 800mm depending on altitude, the property utilizes irrigation to stabilize feed production. The soils in this area are typically derived from Jurassic dolerite and Tertiary basalt, resulting in fertile but often stony clay-loams that are well-suited to pasture when managed carefully.

The proponent, James Peter Downie, is a sixth-generation farmer whose family has managed the land since the 1830s. Beyond soil carbon, Dungrove Station is notable for its integration of diverse sustainable revenue streams; it hosts the Cattle Hill Wind Farm, operates a forestry carbon project, and is part of the ZQRX ethical wool program. The operation is known for moving livestock between the home station and higher altitude "run" blocks to rest pastures, a practice that aligns with the grazing management activities required for the carbon project.