Ballyglunin Run Healthy Soils Project

Ballyglunin Run Healthy Soils Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located at Hensley Park, approximately 10km north of Hamilton in Western Victoria. Registered on July 5, 2024, the project covers 797 hectares of agricultural land along the Henty Highway. The property, known as "Ballyglunin Run," is part of the operations of Wannon Pastoral, a family-run enterprise managed by the Mackinnon family.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon levels through improved management practices. Specifically, this project aims to sequester carbon by applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies and by altering grazing stocking rates and intensity. These activities are designed to boost vegetation cover and soil health, thereby drawing more carbon into the soil profile where it can be measured and credited.

The Hensley Park region is situated within Victoria's Western District, an area renowned for high-production grazing, particularly for prime lamb, wool, and beef cattle. The local environment is characterized by a "high rainfall" climate (typically exceeding 600mm annually) and nutrient-rich volcanic soils, often consisting of heavy grey/black clays or basalt-derived duplex soils. The proponents, Hamish and Robert Mackinnon, utilize the property for their Wannon Pastoral Angus stud, where cattle run alongside sheep in a commercial stocking environment.