Mayfield Regeneration Project

Mayfield Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 35km southwest of Charleville in the Murweh local government area of South West Queensland. It was registered in August 2015 and covers an area of 19,427.45 hectares.

The Human-Induced Regeneration methodology involves establishing permanent native forests by altering land management practices to allow native vegetation to regenerate. Standard requirements for this method include managing the land so that the regenerating forest can eventually achieve a minimum crown cover of 20% and reach a height of at least 2 metres. For the Mayfield project, this involves assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources (including rootstock and lignotubers) on land that was previously cleared and where regrowth had been suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing. The specific project activities involve ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth, modifying the timing and extent of livestock grazing, and humanely managing feral animal populations.

The Charleville and wider Murweh region is known largely for its agricultural land use, specifically sheep and cattle grazing. The environment falls within the Mulga Lands bioregion, which is characterised by a semi-arid climate with low, highly variable rainfall. Soils in this area are generally red earths, sandy loams, and some clay loams, which support the native scrub and mulga vegetation of the region.

An interesting note on the project's history is that the participant structure underwent a formal variation in December 2017, transitioning from Jason Hugh Knight and Benjamin Page Knight as the Trustees for Knight Pastoral to S & R McDonald Pty Ltd as the Trustee for McDonald & Sons Family Trust. Furthermore, the project holds an active Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC102213) with the Commonwealth, which was secured during the November 2015 auction, and utilizes Climate Friendly Pty Ltd as its primary agent.