Smeatonvale Carbon Project 1

Smeatonvale Carbon Project 1 is a soil carbon project located at the "Smeatonvale" property, approximately 24 kilometres northwest of Deniliquin in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Registered in August 2026, the project covers 500.80 hectares of agricultural land.

Soil carbon projects operate under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. These projects aim to increase the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils by changing land management practices. Standard requirements dictate that proponents establish baseline soil carbon levels via rigorous soil core sampling before implementing a new, eligible management activity. Subsequent measuring and modeling are then used to verify carbon increases over the 25-year crediting period.

The Deniliquin area is a major hub for mixed farming, typically featuring a combination of livestock grazing, winter cropping, and irrigation enterprises. The environment is classified as semi-arid, experiencing moderate to low annual rainfall. Soils in this region vary widely but are generally characterised by red sandy loams on rises transitioning into heavier grey and brown clay loams on the plains, which can often be naturally sodic.

This specific project increases soil carbon in the agricultural system by applying nutrients, in the form of synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers, to address a material soil deficiency. Interestingly, the host property "Smeatonvale" is a well-known premium 850-hectare agricultural holding featuring significant irrigation infrastructure, Murray River water access, and highly productive livestock grazing country. As this project area is approximately 500 hectares, it operates alongside a sister project, Smeatonvale Carbon Project 2, which Agriprove has also recently registered to cover further agricultural zones on the holding.