Gear Carbon Project 3

Gear Carbon Project 3 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the locality of Trawalla, approximately 15 kilometers east of Beaufort and 30 kilometers west of Ballarat in Western Victoria. Registered in March 2024, the project covers a project area of 272 hectares. The surrounding region, part of the Pyrenees Shire, is a well-established agricultural zone predominantly utilized for mixed farming, including wool and prime lamb production, as well as broadacre cropping of cereals and canola.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This framework allows landholders to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by implementing new management activities that increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. To quantify these gains, the method requires baseline soil sampling followed by subsequent rounds of testing and modelling to verify increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks over time.

Environmentally, the Trawalla region experiences a temperate climate with a moderate annual rainfall average of approximately 650mm, which is generally favourable for pasture growth and soil carbon accumulation. The landscape sits within the Western Victorian Volcanic Plains, where soils are typically fertile but can range from grey-brown basaltic clay loams to sodosols. These heavier soil types often have high potential for carbon sequestration when managed with regenerative practices that improve soil structure and biological activity.

The specific activities for this project include applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies and altering stocking rates to improve vegetation cover. The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions, Australia's leading developer of soil carbon projects, who often utilize digital technology and specific agronomic strategies (such as multi-species pasture cropping) to accelerate soil health improvements.