Newhaven Soil Carbon Project

Newhaven Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 12km north of the town of Banana in Central Queensland. Registered in August 2024, the project covers a substantial area of 2,988 hectares. The project is situated within the Banana Shire, a region heavily reliant on dryland broadacre farming and beef cattle grazing.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This method credits landholders for increasing soil organic carbon levels through changes in land management. Standard requirements involve baseline soil sampling to establish current carbon stocks, followed by the implementation of new activities, such as altering stocking rates, duration, or grazing intensity, to improve ground cover and soil health. Subsequent sampling rounds are conducted to measure the increase in sequestered carbon over time.

Environmentally, the site is located in the Brigalow Belt bioregion, which is characterized by a sub-tropical, semi-arid climate with summer-dominant rainfall averaging around 600-700mm annually. The soils in this vicinity are typically fertile cracking clays (Vertosols) or texture-contrast soils, which are highly productive for grazing but responsive to management changes regarding moisture retention and vegetation cover.

The project proponent, Southwick Pty Ltd, is an active pastoral entity in the region, having been noted in local agricultural reports purchasing high-value Santa Gertrudis bulls for operations near Moura. The project is supported by Carbon Link Operations, a Queensland-based soil carbon aggregator that specializes in managing large-scale grazing projects.