Public parkland with mature eucalypts and managed turf

For councils · For LGAs · For greenspace managers

Biochar for councils, parklands and urban greenspaces.

One Australian-made soil amendment for water restrictions, contamination concerns, soil-carbon targets, and rising maintenance costs across sports grounds, parklands, road verges and stormwater systems.

Scope a projectSee the research
  • 88.6% NATA-tested carbon
  • Australian Sugargum hardwood
  • Sold by the cubic metre
  • Pilot-trial design on one site

The brief

A defensible case for a council briefing.

Local government managers are balancing water restrictions, contamination concerns, soil-carbon targets, and rising maintenance costs across sports grounds, parklands, road verges and stormwater systems. Biochar is a single amendment that contributes to all four. Australian-made from sustainably sourced hardwood, independently lab-tested, and supplied by the cubic metre.

Save water in greenspaces

Up to 40% irrigation reduction in trials where applied.

Woody biochar holds over 2.7× its dry weight in water (Yu et al., 2013) and, at agriculturally meaningful mixture rates, can double the water-holding capacity of sandy soils (Yu et al., 2013) .

In greenspace trials where Possible Agriculture Biochar has been applied, irrigation requirements have been reduced by up to 40% (Possible Agriculture trials) . Results vary by site, soil and rate.

Doubles water-holding capacity of sandy or loamy-sand soils at 9% mixture

Soil water-holding capacity

Soil-level water holding effect

Source: Yu et al., 2013

Safeguard your soils

Stormwater, contaminants, and the PFAS brief.

High-temperature activated wood biochars like ours adsorb and immobilise heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, mercury) and have been shown to reduce PFAS leaching by up to 98–100% at 5% application in low-organic-matter soils (Sørmo et al., 2021) .

In stormwater column trials, biochar filter media reduced total suspended solids by 86%, nitrate by 86%, and phosphate by 47% (ASCE study) . For contaminated-site remediation, we recommend a site-specific pilot trial — performance reduces in soils with high organic matter.

Waterway management

A range of strategies that adapt to existing plans.

From biochar filter "sausages" placed in runoff zones to biochar amendments in sports-ground subsoils that capture nutrient leaching before it reaches waterways, we can scope and supply for catchments of any size — without large infrastructure investment.

Indicative applications

  • ·Biochar filter sausages in stormwater inlets
  • ·Subsoil amendment under sports grounds and ovals
  • ·Tree-pit amendment for street-tree water retention
  • ·Biochar–compost amendment for road verges
  • ·Landfill-cap and remediation-site amendment

1% of soil organic carbon delivers

What 1% SOC actually unlocks.

~165 t CO₂-e sequestered per hectare

CO₂-e sequestered per hectare

1% increase in soil organic carbon (top 30 cm, bulk density 1.5 t/m³)

Source: SCIG

Up to ~75,000 L additional water-holding per acre (~187,000 L per hectare)

Additional water-holding per acre

1% increase in soil organic carbon — water-holding effect

Source: USDA-NRCS, cited Bryant 2015

  • ·Enhanced biodiversity and microbial activity in the root zone.
  • ·10–42% increase in plant productivity at 1% biochar application (Joseph et al., 2021) .
  • ·Up to 4.6× increase in plant-available phosphorus (Joseph et al., 2021) .
  • ·12–50% reduction in non-CO₂ GHG (N₂O + CH₄) from soils (Joseph et al., 2021) .
  • ·17–39% reduction in plant tissue heavy-metal concentrations (Joseph et al., 2021) .
  • ·Sequestered carbon (not "emission reduction" — ACCU rules differ).

Carbon credit eligibility

ACCU pathway, on the level.

Compost and biochar systems are accepted methods for building soil carbon under the Australian carbon credit accreditation framework. We can advise on participating in the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) and earning Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

Credit eligibility depends on project assessment by the Clean Energy Regulator. We'll be honest about what your specific project supports.

Frequently asked questions

Where can biochar fit into a council's asset list?

Stormwater systems (biochar filter "sausages" in runoff zones, in-line filter media), parklands and sports grounds (root-zone amendment for water-savings and compaction), street tree pits (water-holding + nutrient retention for newly planted trees), landfill and contaminated-site remediation (heavy-metal and PFAS adsorption), and composting programs (manure / green-waste stabilisation).

How does it line up with our soil-carbon and emissions targets?

Compost and biochar systems are accepted methods for building soil carbon under the Australian carbon credit accreditation framework. Each 1% increase in soil organic carbon sequesters approximately 165 t CO₂-e per hectare — but sequestered carbon is distinct from a creditable emission reduction under the Emissions Reduction Fund. We can scope what your specific situation supports for ACCU project assessment.

How does this fit our procurement process?

We supply by the cubic metre with delivery scheduled to your timetable, and we'll provide the NATA-accredited lab report for the production batch on request. For larger contracts we can set up a phased delivery schedule across a financial year. Talk to us about a procurement-ready quote.

Can we run a pilot trial on one parkland before going site-wide?

Strongly recommended — and we'll help you design it. A typical pilot looks at a single parkland or one street-tree precinct, runs across one full irrigation cycle, and measures water savings, plant performance, and any compaction or drainage effects. We can scope the trial design and supply the biochar for it.

What about PFAS — is biochar a real remediation option?

Yes, for low-organic-matter soils. shows up to 98–100% PFAS leaching reduction at 5% activated biochar inclusion in low-organic soils (Sørmo et al., 2021, Science of the Total Environment). Performance reduces in soils with high organic matter, so we always recommend a site-specific pilot trial before any contaminated-site application.

Want to scope a parkland pilot, a stormwater retrofit, or a soil-carbon project?

Talk to us