Wambin Carbon Project

Wambin Carbon Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on "Wambin" station near the locality of Toompine, approximately 75km south of Quilpie in South West Queensland. Registered in September 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 65,392 hectares. The surrounding region is part of the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area historically dominated by pastoral leases for sheep and cattle grazing.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically due to grazing pressure or mechanical clearing. This project facilitates regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as existing rootstock and lignotubers, by managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and controlling feral animals, allowing the landscape to return to forest cover.

The environment in this region is classified as semi-arid with highly variable, summer-dominant rainfall averaging between 300mm and 450mm annually. The soils are characteristic of the Mulga Lands, consisting predominantly of red earths, sandy loams, and hard-setting clays that support Acacia aneura (mulga) woodlands and shrublands.

An interesting aspect of this project is the deep involvement of the proponent, James Bignell (of Bignell Pty. Ltd.), who has also worked directly with the project service provider, Climate Friendly. The Bignell family purchased Wambin around 2010 to expand their cattle breeding operations, utilizing the carbon project to provide drought diversification income, a strategy that highlights the economic resilience carbon farming can offer in marginal grazing country.