Nock Carbon Project

Nock Carbon Project is a soil carbon project located in the Central West region of New South Wales, situated between the major agricultural towns of Parkes and Forbes. Registered in October 2023, the project covers an initial area of 1,468.70 hectares, though a variation in May 2026 saw some areas removed from the project footprint. The surrounding region is highly regarded for its agricultural productivity, primarily focusing on broadacre cropping (such as wheat, canola, and pulses) as well as livestock farming like sheep and beef cattle grazing.

The environment in the Forbes and Parkes area is generally classified as a low to medium rainfall zone that relies heavily on dryland farming techniques. The local soils are predominantly red chromosols, including red clay and sandy loams, which can often be naturally low in organic carbon and phosphorus. To address this, the project activities specifically involve applying synthetic or non-synthetic nutrients to the land as a fertiliser to correct material deficiencies and boost soil health.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models methodology. Soil carbon projects require landholders to undertake new or altered agricultural management practices to increase the amount of carbon stored within their soil profile. Baseline carbon levels are physically measured at the project's commencement, and subsequent testing combined with modelling is used to calculate the net carbon sequestered over the nominated permanence period, which for this project is 25 years.

Interestingly, the project proponent, Loam Carbon Pty Ltd, is the carbon project arm of Loam Bio, a prominent Australian biotech company known for developing microbial seed treatments (such as 'CarbonBuilder') that enhance stable carbon sequestration in cropping systems. The project is highly likely named after one of the company's co-founders, Tegan Nock, highlighting the direct connection between the firm's leadership and practical, on-farm carbon generation initiatives.