Bunny Rock Carbon Project 2

Bunny Rock Carbon Project 2 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the rural locality of Bonnie Rock, approximately 300km northeast of Perth and 30km north of the town of Mukinbudin in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region. Registered on May 9, 2025, the project covers roughly 350 hectares of agricultural land. The project aims to increase soil organic carbon levels across the property by applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies, a practice designed to boost plant growth and root biomass, thereby sequestering more carbon in the soil profile.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology requires the proponent to conduct baseline soil sampling to establish initial carbon stocks. Following this, new management activities, such as the targeted nutrient application proposed here, are implemented to encourage sequestration. Subsequent sampling rounds, often combined with modelling, are used to measure the increase in soil carbon over time, which generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). The project has a nominated permanence period of 25 years.

The Bonnie Rock region is situated in the north-eastern Wheatbelt, an area characterized by a semi-arid climate with low annual rainfall. The landscape typically features sandplains and granitic outcrops, with soils often consisting of sandy loams, duplex soils (sand over clay), and "wodjil" soils (acidic yellow sands). Land use in the district is predominantly broadacre cropping (wheat and grain) and sheep grazing. This area is considered marginal farming country due to the dry conditions, making soil health improvement initiatives critical for long-term productivity.

An interesting historical note regarding the project's name is that "Bunny Rock" was the original name given to a nearby granite outcrop by early sandalwood cutters who shot rabbits there in the late 19th century. The name eventually evolved into the official locality name, "Bonnie Rock." This project is one of multiple soil carbon initiatives in the area developed by Agriprove, a prominent corporate service provider in the Australian soil carbon sector.