Koorani Covered Anaerobic Lagoon

Koorani Covered Anaerobic Lagoon is an animal effluent management project located at the "Koorani" piggery property, approximately 30km north of the township of Young in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales. Registered in September 2025, the project is operated by Windridge Farms Pty Ltd, a prominent family-owned mixed farming enterprise that produces pork, beef, lamb, wool, and grain across approximately 5,100 hectares in the district.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Animal Effluent Management) Methodology Determination 2019. This methodology generates carbon credits by capturing methane emissions from the anaerobic decomposition of animal manure, in this case, piggery effluent. By installing a specialized cover over the anaerobic lagoon, the project traps biogas that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. This captured gas is then combusted (flared) or used to generate electricity, converting the potent methane into carbon dioxide and water.

The Young region is well-regarded for its diverse agricultural land use, ranging from intensive livestock and cropping to horticulture. The area typically experiences a temperate climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 600mm to 700mm. The soils in this locality are generally red-brown earths and granitic sandy loams, which support the region's productive grazing and cropping rotations.

Windridge Farms has implemented strict biosecurity and environmental management plans for the Koorani site to manage the intensive nature of the piggery operations. The facility's transition to a covered lagoon system represents a significant upgrade in waste management technology, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of the livestock production while potentially harnessing renewable energy from the waste stream.