Burns Carbon Project

The Burns Carbon Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Ardgour Station, approximately 120 kilometers south of Charleville in South West Queensland. Registered in December 2015, the project covers an area of 8,282 hectares within the Paroo Shire. The region is traditionally utilized for grazing operations, specifically for sheep and cattle, which aligns with the project's land-use history prior to its transition to carbon farming.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves implementing management changes to allow native forests to regenerate on land where regrowth was previously suppressed. For the Burns Carbon Project, this is achieved primarily through the management of the timing and extent of grazing. Specific activities have included the complete cessation of sheep grazing and the strategic management of cattle to reduce pressure on vegetation, alongside the suppression of feral animals such as goats.

Environmentally, the project sits within the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area characterized by a semi-arid climate with hot summers and variable, summer-dominant rainfall. The landscape typically features flat to undulating plains with red earth and sandy soils, supporting vegetation dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and Poplar Box (Eucalyptus populnea). These resilient soil and vegetation types are well-suited to the regeneration activities undertaken by the project.

A notable aspect of this project is its integration with conservation efforts. Ardgour Station, a former sheep station that was destocked in 2016 due to severe drought, has since been acquired by the proponent, Paniri Agricultural Co (a subsidiary of Corporate Carbon). In addition to generating carbon credits, the property has been declared a Nature Refuge under the Queensland Government's NatureAssist program, formalizing its role in protecting local biodiversity and ecosystems.