Brereton Carbon Project 4

Brereton Carbon Project 4 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Mid North region of South Australia, approximately 25km northeast of Port Pirie and 30km north of Crystal Brook. Registered in December 2023, the project covers nearly 189 hectares of agricultural land. The numbering in the project name suggests it may be part of a larger aggregation or a staged enrollment of a broader farming enterprise known as "Brereton" in the region.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) levels. This involves measuring baseline carbon stocks and implementing new management activities to sequester additional carbon. For this specific site, the proponent, Agriprove Solutions, has indicated activities such as converting from intensive tillage to reduced or no-tillage practices and addressing nutrient deficiencies through the application of synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers. These changes are designed to improve soil health and plant growth, thereby drawing more carbon from the atmosphere into the soil profile.

The Mid North region is a significant agricultural zone, traditionally utilized for mixed farming, including cereal cropping (wheat and barley) and sheep grazing. The local climate is generally classified as semi-arid to Mediterranean, characterised by winter-dominant rainfall and hot, dry summers. The soils in this area are typically red-brown earths and calcareous clay loams, which are inherently fertile but can benefit significantly from improved structure and organic matter retention, goals directly aligned with the project's activities.