Messner Carbon Project 15

Messner Carbon Project 15 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Shire of Westonia in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Registered on August 5, 2024, the project covers an area of approximately 240 hectares. It appears to be part of a larger aggregation of projects managed by the proponent, Agriprove Solutions, likely associated with the Messner family's agricultural properties, as indicated by the existence of multiple numerically sequenced projects under the same name in the register.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Organic Carbon methodology, which allows proponents to estimate carbon storage using a hybrid approach of physical soil measurement and modelled projections. To generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the landholder must introduce new management activities that materially change the way the land is farmed to increase soil carbon. In this specific instance, the registered activity involves applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers to address material nutrient deficiencies. By correcting these imbalances, the project aims to boost plant productivity and root mass, which facilitates the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere into the soil.

The surrounding Wheatbelt region is a major agricultural hub, primarily utilized for broadacre cropping (wheat, barley, canola) and sheep grazing. The environment is classified as semi-arid with low, winter-dominant rainfall, typically averaging between 300mm and 350mm annually. The soils in the Westonia area are characteristically ancient and weathered, often presenting as sandy loams or duplex soils (sand over clay) which are naturally low in organic matter. This makes them suitable candidates for carbon farming, as there is often a significant "carbon gap" that can be filled through improved management practices.