Garrett Carbon Project 2

Garrett Carbon Project 2 is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 30km east of Coonabarabran in the Central West region of New South Wales. Registered in July 2024, the project covers 185.5 hectares of agricultural land. The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions, a leading developer in the soil carbon sector, and appears to be part of a larger aggregation or multi-stage development, as indicated by the existence of a "Garrett Carbon Project 1" in the same registry sequence.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models). This high-integrity method requires the proponent to establish a baseline of soil carbon through physical core sampling. Following this, land management activities must be altered to encourage carbon drawdown, in this case, by rejuvenating pastures through seeding or pasture cropping and optimizing grazing intensity to improve ground cover. Credits (ACCUs) are issued based on the measured increase in soil carbon stocks over time, minus any emissions generated by the project activities.

The Coonabarabran region, often referred to as the "Astronomy Capital of Australia" due to the nearby Siding Spring Observatory, is characterized by a mix of grazing and cropping land use. The area typically receives an average annual rainfall of approximately 670mm, which is relatively evenly distributed but can be summer-dominant. The landscape in this part of the Warrumbungle Shire often features fertile, basalt-derived soils and cracking clays (Vertosols), which are well-suited to the project's goal of deep carbon storage, though lighter sandy loams (Chromosols) are also present in the surrounding slopes.

An interesting facet of this project is its proponent, Agriprove, which typically utilizes a "partner" model. This approach often removes the upfront financial barrier for farmers by covering the costs of administration and measurement (using digital twin technology and soil testing) in exchange for a portion of the resulting carbon credits. This model has been instrumental in scaling soil carbon projects across the Australian agricultural sector.