Kilcowera and Zenonie Forest Regeneration Project

Kilcowera and Zenonie Forest Regeneration Project is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the remote Mulga Lands of South West Queensland. The project area spans approximately 79,068 hectares across two pastoral properties, Kilcowera and Zenonie, situated roughly 90km south of Thargomindah and north of the border town of Hungerford.

Registered in August 2015, the project operates within a semi-arid environment characterized by red earth soils and sandy loams. The region is dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) shrublands and woodlands, receiving highly variable rainfall that averages around 300mm annually. The area is subject to frequent and severe droughts, making the diversification into carbon farming a strategic decision for land management.

The project utilizes the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves changes in land management to facilitate the regrowth of native forest. For this specific project, activities include the cessation of mechanical clearing and the active management of grazing pressure from both livestock and feral animals (such as goats). By reducing these suppression factors, the native vegetation is allowed to regenerate from in-situ seed sources and rootstock to meet permanent forest cover thresholds.

A unique aspect of this project is its dual operation as a working cattle station and a well-known eco-tourism destination. Run by the Sherwin family (Vision Pastoral Company), Kilcowera Station is renowned for its birdwatching opportunities and its proximity to Currawinya National Park, sharing a boundary near the salt-water Lake Wyara. The project allows the proponents to balance sustainable beef production with conservation outcomes, providing a stable income stream that helps buffer against the region's volatile climate cycles.