Wiregrass

Wiregrass is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 55km south-east of Barcaldine and 40km south-west of Jericho in Central Queensland. Registered in March 2025, the project covers a relatively focused area of roughly 865 hectares. The property is situated within the Barcaldine Regional Council area, a region heavily reliant on primary production, specifically sheep and cattle grazing on native pastures.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology (Measurement and Models), which incentivizes landholders to increase Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks. Unlike purely measurement-based methods, this "hybrid" approach allows proponents to use predictive models (such as DayCent or RothC) validated by physical soil core sampling to estimate carbon sequestration over time. To generate credits (ACCUs), the project activity involves altering the stocking rate, duration, and intensity of grazing. This is designed to allow pasture recovery, increase ground cover, and subsequently build soil carbon levels.

The local environment is characterized by a semi-arid climate with hot summers and variable rainfall, typically averaging roughly 500mm annually. The project name, "Wiregrass," likely refers to the dominant vegetation or the property itself; Wiregrass (Aristida spp.) is a native grass often found on the sandy red earths (Kandosols) and loams typical of the Desert Uplands bioregion, which borders this area. These soils are generally lower in fertility compared to the heavy black cracking clays (Vertosols) found further south and east, but they respond well to improved grazing management which can transition the pasture composition from wiregrass to more palatable, carbon-rich perennial species.

The proponent, NatureBase Pty Ltd, is an Australian-based organization focused on natural capital and nature-positive landscape management. Their involvement suggests a focus on integrating data-driven natural climate solutions with practical farm management to derive value from ecosystem services.