Wandoo Springs Soil Carbon Project

Wandoo Springs Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the rural locality of Trigwell, approximately 30km west of Arthur River and 200km southeast of Perth, Western Australia. Registered in December 2023, the project covers 765 hectares within the Shire of West Arthur. The property, known as "Wandoo Springs," is a regenerative sheep and beef cattle farm that has transitioned from a former blue gum plantation back into agricultural production.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which credits increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) achieved through changes in land management. In this specific instance, the project employs holistic grazing management techniques. This involves altering the stocking rate and duration of grazing, specifically moving livestock frequently to ensure paddocks have long recovery periods between grazing events, to promote pasture diversity and root growth, which in turn sequesters carbon in the soil.

The region experiences a Mediterranean climate with a winter-dominant rainfall averaging around 600mm annually. The local landscape is characterized by undulating terrain with soils that are typically duplex, consisting of sand or gravel over clay subsoils. The area was historically dominated by Eucalyptus wandoo (Wandoo) woodlands, from which the property derives its name.

An interesting facet of this project is its proponent, LTV Energy Pty Ltd, directed by Louis Verheggen, a former petroleum engineer turned regenerative farmer. The project represents a significant land-use shift; after purchasing the property when it was a blue gum plantation, the owners harvested the timber and have spent recent years restoring the land's agricultural capacity using biological inputs and rotational grazing instead of synthetic fertilizers and set stocking.