Quilpeta Regeneration Project

Quilpeta Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located in the Quilpie Shire, approximately 100km southeast of the town of Quilpie in South West Queensland. It was registered in August 2015 and covers 24,158.70 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. Standard requirements dictate that the land must have been previously cleared of vegetation and regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing.

The Quilpie region is traditionally known for pastoral operations, such as sheep and cattle grazing, as well as boulder opal mining. The area is considered semi-arid, experiencing a low average annual rainfall of around 300mm with frequent extreme drought periods, and soils generally consist of red sand and loam.

This project was set up to achieve regeneration by ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and carefully managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. Interestingly, the property name "Quilpeta" is the Aboriginal word for the secretive bush Stone Curlew, which is also the namesake for the nearby town of Quilpie. The project has been highly successful, generating over 50,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) in its first reporting period alone, which provided the landholders with alternative revenue to reinvest in their pastoral business. Furthermore, carbon credits from the Quilpeta Regeneration Project have been purchased by major corporations such as Frasers Property Australia to help achieve their carbon-neutral certifications under the Climate Active program.