Mayfield Soil Carbon Project

Mayfield Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon project located at the 'Mayfield' property near Willows Gemfields, approximately 82km west of Emerald in the Central Highlands region of Queensland. It was registered in September 2025 and covers 5,193.77 hectares.

Soil carbon projects involve altering agricultural practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. Under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) method, standard requirements for this project include altering the stocking rate, duration, or intensity of grazing to promote soil vegetation cover and improve overall soil health.

The Central Highlands region is well known for cattle grazing and sapphire mining operations. The area has a semi-arid climate with highly variable rainfall that is prone to drought conditions. Soils in the region generally consist of vertosols (cracking clays) and kandosols, which local land managers are actively working to rehydrate.

This project is run by proponents Gregory and Sonya Spencer, with Carbon Link Operations Pty Ltd acting as an agent. The 'Mayfield' property serves as a demonstration site for the Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative (CHRRUP) to show other graziers how adopting drought-resilient practices can rehydrate the landscape. Through the Future Drought Fund, the Spencers have actively subdivided paddocks and installed new water infrastructure. Interestingly, to improve operational efficiency, the Spencers even utilise drones for mustering cattle across their large property, saving significant time and fuel. In March 2026, the project proponents were updated from solely Sonya Spencer to include both Gregory and Sonya.