Sec 266 Bramfield Carbon Project

Sec 266 Bramfield Carbon Project is an environmental planting project located near the small settlement of Bramfield, approximately 15 kilometers southeast of the coastal town of Elliston on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. Registered on March 3, 2023, the project covers 98.31 hectares of land that was previously dedicated to agricultural production. The project name references its specific cadastral location, Section 266 in the Hundred of Bramfield, situated within the District Council of Elliston.

The project operates under the "Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings" methodology, utilizing the FullCAM model to estimate carbon sequestration. This methodology requires the establishment of permanent plantings of tree species native to the local area on land that has been clear of forest cover for at least five years. A key requirement is planting at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover, typically necessitating at least 200 stems per hectare, though this can vary for mallee species which are common in this region. The primary objective is to transition the land from farming use to permanent native vegetation, thereby storing carbon in the biomass of trees and shrubs.

The Bramfield region is characterized by a semi-arid to Mediterranean climate, receiving an average annual rainfall of approximately 400mm to 430mm, which supports cereal cropping and sheep grazing, the dominant land uses in the surrounding area. The local terrain is generally flat to gently undulating, with soils predominantly consisting of calcareous earths and sandy loams over limestone, typical of the western Eyre Peninsula. This specific project area sits near a known fresh groundwater lens, which historically supports River Red Gum woodlands in an otherwise dry landscape.

The project is undertaken by Andrew Michael Freeman and Ian James Quinn as trustees for their respective family trusts, suggesting a partnership between local landholders rather than a large corporate aggregation. By converting 98 hectares of ex-agricultural land to native species, the project aims to restore local biodiversity while generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) through the sequestration of atmospheric carbon.