Wongalee Mervyndale and Rundalua Forest Regeneration Project

Wongalee Mervyndale and Rundalua Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Murweh Shire region of South West Queensland, approximately 100km southeast of Charleville. It was registered in August 2015 and spans an expansive 58,602.85 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve managing land to enable native vegetation to naturally regenerate into a permanent, even-aged native forest. Under this methodology, the project must aim to achieve forest cover, typically defined as having at least 20% canopy cover and trees reaching over 2 metres in height. This is achieved by changing or ceasing land management practices that previously suppressed native regrowth.

The Murweh region is characterised by a semi-arid climate with irregular, highly seasonal rainfall that primarily occurs during the summer months. The soils typically range from mineralised red earths, often associated with native mulga vegetation, to sandy loams and clays. Land use in this area is predominantly extensive sheep and beef cattle grazing on native vegetation.

This project establishes permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers, on land that was historically cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. The core project activities focus on the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and the careful management of the timing and extent of grazing by livestock. Notably, the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated from this project have been directly purchased by corporate entities, such as Melior Investment Management, to voluntarily offset their organisational carbon footprints and achieve carbon neutrality.