Clovelly Regeneration Project

The Clovelly Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 20km southeast of the small township of Wyandra in Queensland. Situated within the Paroo Shire, the property lies roughly halfway between the major regional hubs of Charleville and Cunnamulla. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a significant area of nearly 13,900 hectares. The surrounding region is deeply rooted in pastoral history, traditionally utilized for sheep and cattle grazing on the vast rangelands of the Mulga Lands bioregion.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects in this context focus on restoring native forests by altering land management practices rather than planting new trees. For the Clovelly project, this involves managing the timing and extent of grazing to reduce pressure on vegetation, allowing natural regeneration from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers. To be eligible, the land must have been cleared of vegetation and had regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement.

The environment in this part of the Paroo Shire is classified as semi-arid, typically receiving between 350mm and 400mm of rainfall annually. The landscape is characterized by red earth soils and vegetation dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Poplar Box woodlands. These hardy native species are well-adapted to the variable climate but require periods of rest from grazing to establish canopy cover sufficient to generate carbon credits.

This project is a partnership involving proponents Anne Maree Osborne and Sally Anne Turner, working with service provider Climate Friendly Pty Ltd. By transitioning from intensive grazing to a regeneration model, the project aims to sequester carbon in the woody biomass of the returning forest while likely maintaining a level of sustainable agricultural activity compatible with the carbon estimation areas.