Cooeeanna Carbon Project 9

Cooeeanna Carbon Project 9 is a soil carbon sequestration project located at the Cooeeanna homestead, approximately 9km southwest of the town of Lock on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Registered in September 2025, the project covers a project area of roughly 273 hectares. The surrounding Lock district is a key agricultural hub, primarily utilized for mixed farming operations that combine cereal cropping, such as wheat and barley, with sheep grazing.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, specifically the "Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models" determination. This method requires landholders to implement new management activities to build carbon stocks in agricultural systems. In this case, the project focuses on applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies in the soil, a practice designed to stimulate plant growth and subsequently increase soil organic carbon levels.

Environmentally, the central Eyre Peninsula is classified as a semi-arid region, typically receiving between 300mm and 400mm of rainfall annually. The local landscape is characterized by calcareous earths and sandy loams, often featuring sand over clay profiles. While these soils can be nutrient-poor and prone to water repellence, they are known to be highly responsive to improved management practices and fertilizer application, making them suitable candidates for carbon sequestration initiatives.