Durack Carbon Project 2

Durack Carbon Project 2 is a soil carbon project located approximately 10km west-southwest of Bordertown, in the Tatiara district of the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. It was registered on July 25, 2024, and covers an area of 164.21 hectares. The Bordertown and broader Tatiara region is a highly productive agricultural zone known for mixed farming, encompassing cereal cropping, dryland pastures, lucerne seed production, and sheep grazing.

Soil carbon projects operating under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology involve introducing new, eligible land management activities designed to increase the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils. Standard requirements for this methodology include rigorous baseline soil sampling before the new activities begin, periodic re-measurement by independent technicians to prove carbon increases, and the maintenance of those carbon stocks over a set permanence period.

The region experiences a Mediterranean climate with a semi-arid to medium annual rainfall averaging around 460mm. The soils in this local area are primarily of marine origin, commonly featuring deep sands, sand over clay, and shallow loams over calcarenite limestone. These sandy topsoils are often prone to nutrient leaching and acidity, requiring active management to maintain their agricultural productivity.

To build soil carbon, this project specifically focuses on applying nutrients to the land in the form of synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers to address a material deficiency. By correcting soil nutrient imbalances, the project aims to stimulate greater plant and root biomass growth, which in turn draws down atmospheric carbon and stores it securely within the soil ecosystem.

Developed by Agriprove Solutions Pty Ltd, a major developer of soil carbon projects in Australia, this project is part of a broader local carbon farming effort and sits alongside the adjacent 181-hectare Durack Carbon Project 1.