Ilbilbie Soil Carbon Project

The Ilbilbie Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the rural locality of Ilbilbie, approximately 75km south of Mackay in Queensland. Registered in April 2024, the project covers 568 hectares in a region characterized by coastal agricultural plains and high rainfall. The area is situated between the coast and the Connor Range, with local land use predominantly focused on sugarcane cultivation, cattle grazing, and aquaculture.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which awards carbon credits for measured increases in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks. The specific activity listed for this project involves using cover crops to promote soil vegetation cover and improve soil health. This practice is common in regenerative agriculture to maintain living roots in the soil year-round, which feeds soil microbes and builds carbon. The project participant is Carbon Link Operations, a leading Australian soil carbon aggregator known for using advanced soil measurement technology.

A notable feature of this project is its proponent, QNCF Ilbilbie Pty Ltd. This entity appears to be a special purpose vehicle linked to the Queensland Natural Capital Fund (QNCF), a major investment fund established by the Queensland Government and managed by QIC to facilitate investment in land assets that generate environmental and agricultural returns. Public corporate filings link the directorship of QNCF Ilbilbie Pty Ltd to prominent local agricultural figures, suggesting a strategic partnership to demonstrate natural capital generation in the intensive coastal agricultural zone. The region's tropical climate and high average rainfall (exceeding 1,500mm annually in some local records) provide high potential for biomass growth and rapid soil carbon sequestration, though these conditions also present challenges regarding soil stability and saturation.