DAC-2015-23

DAC-2015-23 is a Native Forest from Managed Regrowth project located approximately 50km southwest of Bollon and 100km west of Dirranbandi in South West Queensland. It was registered in September 2015 and covers an extensive 26,263.72 hectares.

Native Forest from Managed Regrowth projects involve allowing native vegetation to permanently regenerate from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and the careful management of the timing and extent of livestock grazing to ensure the vegetation can ultimately reach and sustain forest cover.

The South West Queensland region near Bollon and Dirranbandi is well known for large-scale dryland grazing operations, including cattle, sheep, and goats. The environment is classified as semi-arid, receiving an average of 500 to 600mm of rainfall annually. Typical soils in this outback region range from red earths and kandosols to cracking clays, which predominantly support open Mitchell grass and mulga plains.

Interestingly, this carbon project operates on land that was previously subjected to at least one comprehensive clearing for pastoral use. The project footprint forms part of the Devine-Oratara Pastoral Property Portfolio, a massive 49,200ha agricultural aggregation that hit the real estate market in 2020 with an estimated value of $150 million. Over its lifetime, the project has seen several proponent variations, shifting from Devine Agribusiness Pty Ltd to Oratara Pastoral Pty Ltd, and most recently to Pastoral Partners Australia Trusco Pty Limited in September 2023.