Westcott Carbon Project

Westcott Carbon Project is a Soil Organic Carbon project located in the Central West region of New South Wales, situated approximately 28km north of Parkes and 20km south of Peak Hill. It was registered on October 20, 2023, and initially covered 613.17 hectares.

Soil organic carbon projects utilizing the 2021 Measurement and Models methodology aim to increase the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils through specific changes in land management practices. These projects mandate a defined baseline measurement, periodic physical testing or modelling of soil carbon levels, and the continuous application of an eligible new agricultural activity, alongside permanence period requirements to ensure the stored carbon is maintained long-term.

The Parkes area is a traditional mixed farming region well-known for winter broadacre cropping, such as wheat and canola, alongside sheep and cattle grazing operations. The region experiences a transitional semi-arid to humid subtropical climate characterized by moderate rainfall averaging between 500mm and 600mm annually. Soils in this area are predominantly red-brown earths, red clay loams, and Red Chromosols, which can be fragile and prone to hardsetting but respond well to improved agricultural management.

This project aims to increase carbon in the soil within the agricultural system by applying synthetic or non-synthetic nutrients to the land to directly address material deficiencies. This activity stimulates plant growth and root biomass, fundamentally driving carbon sequestration. The project's proponent, Loam Carbon Pty Ltd (often operating under the name Loam Bio), is a prominent Australian biotechnology and agritech startup. They are widely recognized in the sector for developing innovative microbial seed-coating technologies, such as their "CarbonBuilder" inoculant, which harnesses fungi to securely fix carbon into agricultural soils during the cropping cycle. Notably, on December 9, 2025, a variation to the project area occurred, and certain originally listed land areas were officially removed from the project boundaries.