Balcomba Soil Carbon Project

The Balcomba Soil Carbon Project is a large-scale agricultural land management project located on Balcomba Station, approximately 26 kilometres north of Duaringa and 140 kilometres west of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Registered in March 2024, the project covers a substantial area of roughly 14,300 hectares within the Fitzroy Basin. This region is historically significant for beef cattle grazing, serving as the primary land use for the station since its establishment in the 1860s.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which incentivises farmers to sequester carbon in their soils through measurable practice changes. For Balcomba, these activities include altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of grazing, likely moving towards time-controlled or rotational grazing strategies, and introducing legume species into pastures to enhance soil nitrogen and organic matter. This methodology requires rigorous baseline soil sampling followed by subsequent rounds of measurement and modelling to verify carbon stock increases over the 25-year crediting period.

Environmentally, the site is situated in a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate zone characterised by highly variable, summer-dominant rainfall averaging between 600mm and 800mm annually. The project area, positioned along the Mackenzie River, features soils typical of the Central Highlands and Brigalow Belt, predominantly cracking clays (Vertosols) and alluvial loams. These soil types are generally fertile and have a high capacity for holding water and storing carbon, making them well-suited for this type of sequestration project.

An interesting aspect of this project is the involvement of Carbon Link as the service provider. Carbon Link, founded by Dr. Terry McCosker, is a pioneer in the Australian soil carbon space and advocates for regenerative agriculture principles. The project likely builds upon the extensive R&D conducted in the region to demonstrate that commercial beef operations can simultaneously improve productivity and generate carbon credits.