Aqua Downs Station Regeneration Project

Aqua Downs Station Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located at Aqua Downs Station, approximately 130km southeast of Charleville in south-west Queensland. It was registered in August 2015 and covers an area of 24,116.28 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve regenerating native forest by changing land management practices to allow previously cleared or degraded native vegetation to regrow. This specific project works by ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction or suppression of regrowth on land that was cleared and suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. To meet standard methodology requirements, the project relies on assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources (including rootstock and lignotubers) to eventually achieve a native forest cover, standardly defined as reaching at least 20% canopy cover and a height of at least 2 meters.

The Shire of Murweh region surrounding the project is heavily utilised for pastoralism, with the dominant land use being sheep and cattle grazing on native vegetation. The environment falls within a semi-arid climate zone, experiencing highly variable and drought-prone conditions with a mean annual rainfall roughly between 400mm and 500mm. The regional soils typical to the Mulga lands and Warrego catchment consist largely of red earths, sandy loams, and clays.

Interestingly, Aqua Downs Station has a rich pastoral history. In its early years, the property was originally known as "Thirsty Downs". In the 1950s, the station was managed by Richard Boyer, a prominent grazier who later became a board member and chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In more recent years, pastoralists on the station have been noted for their ability to maintain high breeder cattle fertility using nutritional supplements alongside a diet of pure mulga during severe dry years. The carbon project itself has also attracted corporate investment; in 2022, the multinational firm Cognizant reported retiring carbon credits sourced from the Aqua Downs project as part of their corporate climate action strategy. Furthermore, a Voluntary Carbon Estimation Area (CEA) Data Release from November 2022 indicates that the project has successfully established 7,424 hectares of active CEAs within its boundaries.