Kilcowera and Zenonie Forest Regeneration Project

Kilcowera and Zenonie Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Kilcowera Station, situated on the Dowling Track roughly 90km south of Thargomindah and 70km north of Hungerford in South West Queensland. It was registered in August 2015 and covers a vast area of 79,068 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, on land where vegetation was previously cleared and regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years. Standard methodology requirements mandate that proponents cease mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth. They must also manage the timing and extent of livestock grazing, as well as control feral animals in a humane manner, to allow native trees to regrow and reach a mature forest canopy.

The South West Queensland region is semi-arid, experiencing low, highly variable rainfall that often leads to multi-year droughts interspersed with occasional severe flooding. Land use in this region is predominantly beef cattle grazing and outback tourism. The environment across the project area consists of red mulga rangelands and ephemeral wetlands, with soils primarily composed of red earths, clay pans, and sandy loams.

An interesting fact about this project is its location right alongside the RAMSAR-listed Currawinya National Park, sharing a boundary near Lake Wyara. Because of this, the station is a renowned eco-tourism destination and a birdwatcher's paradise, home to species like Major Mitchell's cockatoos and wedge-tailed eagles. The project was initially established under the management of Toni and Gregory Sherwin, who organically farmed the property and ran eco-tourism operations for over 40 years. Following the sale of the massive pastoral lease in late 2020, the project was transferred to the new owners, Vision Pastoral Company Pty Limited, in 2021.