Waterhole Soil Carbon Project

Waterhole Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the rural locality of Rollands Plains, approximately 35km northwest of Port Macquarie in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales. Registered in January 2025, the project encompasses a project area of 63.58 hectares.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models), which credits landholders for measurable increases in soil carbon stocks. The methodology requires a long-term permanence period (typically 25 years) and a baseline measurement of soil carbon levels. The project strategy involves a combination of three distinct activities: altering stocking rates or grazing intensity to improve vegetation cover, applying lime to remediate acid soils, and applying gypsum to manage sodic or magnesic soils. This multi-faceted approach aims to overcome chemical soil constraints to maximize pasture growth and subsequent carbon capture.

The Rollands Plains region is a high-rainfall environment, typically receiving between 1,200mm and 1,500mm of precipitation annually, which supports intensive beef cattle grazing and forestry operations. The soils in this hinterland region are often Dermosols or Chromosols, which can be prone to acidity and structural issues that the proponent's use of ameliorants (lime and gypsum) specifically targets. The proponent, Carbon Fix Pty Limited, manages a portfolio of similar agricultural carbon projects across New South Wales, utilizing these remediation techniques to unlock the sequestration potential of coastal grazing lands.