Newman Carbon Project 1

Newman Carbon Project 1 is an agricultural soil carbon project located approximately 7km east of Loxton in the Murray Mallee and Riverland region of South Australia. It was registered on July 22, 2024, and covers a project area of 150.77 hectares. The surrounding Loxton Waikerie region is heavily reliant on agriculture, with major land uses split between dryland farming for grains and livestock, and extensive irrigated horticulture producing citrus, wine grapes, and almonds.

The project operates under the "Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models" Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology provides rules for crediting emissions reductions under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme by increasing the carbon stored in agricultural soils. Project proponents earn credits by introducing new eligible land management activities and demonstrating an increase in soil carbon above baseline levels through direct soil sampling, hybrid models, and laboratory testing over the project's designated permanence period.

The local environment around Loxton is classified as semi-arid, characterized by very warm summers, mild winters, and low annual rainfall averaging roughly 260mm. The soils in this Murray Mallee region are typically Mallee soils, dominated by deep calcareous sandy loams and gradational sands, occasionally overlying hard calcrete or Blanchetown clay layers.

The specific activities for this project involve applying nutrients to the land in the form of synthetic or non-synthetic fertiliser to address a material soil deficiency and improve carbon sequestration. The project's proponent, Agriprove Solutions Co No.2 Pty Ltd, is a prominent developer in the Australian soil carbon market. Agriprove manages numerous similar agricultural carbon projects nationwide, such as the Cooeeanna Carbon Project 9, Ellis Carbon Project, and Gloria's Carbon Project, helping landholders rehabilitate pastures, address deficiencies, and implement sustainable grazing practices.