Quilpeta Regeneration Project

The Quilpeta Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 100km southeast of Quilpie in the Mulga Lands bioregion of South West Queensland. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 24,158 hectares. The property, identified as "Quilpeta" (an Aboriginal word for Stone Curlew, which also inspired the town name Quilpie), operates within a region traditionally dedicated to sheep and cattle grazing.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating native forests on land where vegetation has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by livestock or mechanical clearing. To generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the proponents, Andrew and Gabrielle Wilkinson, manage the timing and extent of grazing to allow native vegetation to recover and reach forest cover status. The project aims to achieve a permanent even-aged native forest, sequestering carbon in the biomass of the regenerating trees.

The environment in this part of Queensland is classified as semi-arid, characterized by low and variable rainfall. The landscape is dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and poplar box communities growing on red earth and sandy loam soils. These hardy soil types are well-suited to the native species being regenerated, which provide the dual benefit of carbon sequestration and improved shelter for livestock. Interestingly, the project has seen several administrative changes, initially involving Corporate Carbon Solutions Pty Ltd before transitioning to the current proponent structure in 2025.