Bettergrow - Soil Carbon Project BG1

Bettergrow - Soil Carbon Project BG1 is a soil carbon project located at the Warragundi Aggregation near Goolma, approximately 45km northwest of Mudgee in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales. It was registered in May 2023 and currently covers an area of 4,382.34 ha, following a variation in March 2025 where some listed areas were removed from the project boundaries.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. This soil carbon method requires baselining existing soil carbon levels through physical core sampling and implementing new, eligible land management activities to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil over time. For this specific project, the proponents are altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of grazing to improve soil health and vegetation cover. They are also applying nutrients to the land in the form of synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers to address material soil deficiencies.

The Goolma and broader Mudgee region is well known for diverse and intensive agriculture, encompassing beef and sheep grazing, fodder cropping, and wool production. The Warragundi Aggregation itself is situated along the banks of the Cudgegong River, benefiting from a reliable average annual rainfall of approximately 650mm. The property features diverse soil types, ranging from highly fertile alluvial river flats along the waterways, transitioning into the region's typical red and brown Chromosols and duplex clay loams.

An interesting note about this project is its proponent, Group Energy Pty Ltd, working on land acquired by Bettergrow (a Borg company) in July 2021. Bettergrow focuses heavily on a circular sustainability economy by recovering, recycling, and reusing organic waste. The Warragundi Aggregation serves as a major agribusiness enterprise where they apply their own organic-based composts to build soil resilience against the Australian climate, pairing commercial agriculture with an absolute focus on soil, biodiversity, and landscape health.