McVeigh Carbon Project 1

McVeigh Carbon Project 1 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Central West region of New South Wales, approximately 25km south of Wellington and 55km southeast of Dubbo. Registered in December 2022, the project covers a project area of roughly 292 hectares.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This method credits landholders for increasing soil carbon stocks through changes in land management. Specific activities for this project include applying nutrients to address deficiencies, re-establishing pastures through seeding or pasture cropping, and altering grazing intensity to improve soil health. The proponent, Agriprove, typically employs a "measure-model-measure" approach, combining physical soil core sampling with remote sensing models to verify carbon gains over time.

The Wellington and Dubbo region is characterized by a temperate climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 600mm to 650mm, often referred to as the high rainfall zone of the Central Tablelands. The local landscape is dominated by mixed farming, with soils in the area typically consisting of red earths, loams, and clay loams (Red Chromosols), which are well-suited to the pasture rejuvenation and grazing activities proposed by this project.

The existence of a "McVeigh Carbon Project 3" on the public register suggests that this project is part of a larger aggregation of properties or a staged enrollment by the landholder. Agriprove, the project developer, is a prominent player in the Australian market, often partnering with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) to demonstrate how soil carbon projects can improve farm productivity alongside generating carbon credits.