Malakoff Soil Carbon Project

The Malakoff Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration initiative located approximately 16km north of Theodore and 25km south of Moura in Central Queensland. Registered in August 2025, the project covers a land area of roughly 1,133 hectares. The proponent, Black Marble Station Pty Ltd (acting for the MNK Kucks Pastoral Trust), has partnered with Carbon Link Operations, a major Australian soil carbon project developer, to manage the scheme.

The project operates within the Dawson Valley region of the Banana Shire, an area predominantly used for beef cattle grazing and dryland cropping. The local environment is characterized by a sub-tropical climate with summer-dominant rainfall averaging roughly 700mm per year. The soils in this part of the Brigalow Belt are typically fertile, cracking clays (Vertosols) or texture-contrast soils, which are considered highly suitable for soil carbon projects due to their capacity to retain organic matter when managed effectively.

Under the 2021 Soil Carbon Methodology, the project aims to increase Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks through specific land management activities. These activities include altering grazing intensity and duration to improve ground cover, vital for retaining soil moisture and biology, and rejuvenating pastures through seeding or pasture cropping. By switching from conventional grazing to these regenerative practices, the project aims to sequester atmospheric carbon into the soil profile, earning Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) based on measured increases over time.