Arbon - Tooligie - Human Induced Regeneration

Arbon - Tooligie - Human Induced Regeneration is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, approximately 40km north of the town of Cummins. Registered in December 2013, the project currently covers an area of 6211.72 hectares. The surrounding region features rich undulating farmland that is predominantly used for broad-hectare mixed cereal cropping and livestock grazing. The environmental conditions in this semi-arid region are characterized by low and highly variable annual rainfall, averaging around 350-400mm, with typical soils including calcareous sandy loams, deep sands, and prominent calcrete ridges.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests by encouraging natural regeneration on degraded land. Under this methodology, proponents must cease land management practices that hinder forest growth, such as mechanical clearing, chemical destruction, or severe overgrazing. By lifting these suppression activities, native vegetation can naturally regenerate from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers. To meet standard methodology requirements and generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the project must demonstrate that the regenerated forest achieves native forest cover, meaning a minimum of 20% crown cover and trees reaching at least 2 metres in height.

This specific project was established on land that had been cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. It was initially set up by individual landholders, Andrew and Debra Arbon, before a variation in September 2015 transferred the proponent and participant names to Terra Carbon Pty Limited, an entity associated with the project developer GreenCollar. The project has also undergone several spatial variations, with areas added in 2014, 2015, and most recently amended in December 2025.

Beyond carbon sequestration, the cessation of clearing has provided significant ecological and economic co-benefits to the property. Landholders have observed a proliferation of native wildflowers, increased native wildlife, and improved drought resilience due to enhanced soil water retention. Additionally, the project has been highlighted in financial commentary as a standout success on the Eyre Peninsula, with independent analysts praising it as a rare, highly successful example where forest cover has visibly and materially increased over time compared to other projects in the scheme.