Malgarai Soil Carbon Project

The Malgarai Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located at "Malgarai," a property on the Macintyre River floodplain approximately 8km east of Boggabilla in Northern New South Wales. Registered in November 2022, the project covers 2,309 hectares of agricultural land situated near the Queensland border. The region is primarily defined by mixed cropping and grazing operations, with this specific project illustrating a transition from traditional cultivation to regenerative grazing practices.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models Methodology Determination 2021. This high-integrity methodology rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks through changes in land management. Standard requirements involve establishing a baseline of soil carbon through physical sampling, implementing "eligible management activities" (such as changing grazing intensity or retaining stubble) to boost carbon levels, and undertaking subsequent sampling rounds to measure the increase. Credits (ACCUs) are issued based on the measured sequestration, minus strict deductions for uncertainty and baseline variations.

Environmentally, the Boggabilla region experiences a semi-arid to subtropical climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 615mm. The landscape at Malgarai features fertile alluvial soils, predominantly black vertisols (cracking clays) and loamy grey clays, which are typical of the Macintyre River floodplain. These soil types are naturally high in fertility but can be prone to compaction and moisture loss if not managed carefully, making them excellent candidates for soil carbon improvement through increased ground cover.

The project proponents, Richard and Janet Doyle of Doyle Estates, are well-known advocates for regenerative agriculture. Working with Carbon Link, they have shifted the property's focus from intensive cropping (including cotton) and set-stocking to a holistic "water and wire" system. This involves dividing the property into over 80 paddocks to facilitate high-intensity, short-duration grazing (cell grazing), which allows pastures to rest and recover. The Doyles also incorporate pasture cropping and have successfully eliminated the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers, focusing instead on building soil biodiversity to support their beef trading and F1 Wagyu breeding enterprise.