Lakeland Downs Soil Carbon Project

Lakeland Downs Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration initiative located in the Western Downs region of Queensland, approximately 45km southwest of the town of Miles and northeast of Surat. Registered in August 2024, the project covers an area of 1,658 hectares. The surrounding Western Downs region is a major agricultural hub, predominantly utilised for beef cattle grazing and broadacre cropping of sorghum, wheat, and cotton, alongside significant Coal Seam Gas (CSG) development.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which credits landholders for increasing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks. To achieve this, the project involves altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of grazing to improve vegetation cover, as well as integrating cover crops to enhance soil health. These activities are designed to sequester carbon from the atmosphere into the soil, measured through a rigorous baseline and subsequent sampling rounds.

Environmentally, the Miles district experiences a sub-tropical to semi-arid climate with summer-dominant rainfall averaging between 600mm and 650mm annually. The landscape in this part of the Surat Basin typically features texture-contrast soils (Chromosols) and cracking clays (Vertosols), which are often associated with the Brigalow Belt and are highly responsive to improved land management practices.

An interesting aspect of this project is the involvement of Carbon Link Operations Pty Ltd, a prominent participant in the Australian soil carbon market known for managing a large portfolio of such projects. It is also noted that in September 2025, a variation was made to the project to remove certain areas from the registered boundary, potentially to refine the project area to the most suitable land types.