Yarmouth Regeneration Project

Yarmouth Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Yarmouth Station in the Paroo Shire, approximately 75km northeast of Cunnamulla in south-west Queensland. It was registered in April 2016 and covers an expansive 31,039.34 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve changing land management practices to allow native forests to naturally recover. This specific project establishes permanent even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. This occurs on land that was historically cleared of vegetation and where regrowth had been suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. The primary activity to enable this regeneration is the careful management of the timing and extent of livestock grazing.

The Paroo Shire region is predominantly known for sheep and cattle grazing on pastoral leasehold land. The local environment is classified as semi-arid, experiencing low annual rainfall averages typically between 200–400mm. Soils across the region are generally Kandosols, red, yellow, and grey massive earths that typically support mulga scrub, along with areas of Vertosols, or cracking clays, on the floodplains.

Yarmouth Station has historically focused on innovative pasture management to deal with Australia's climate extremes. A 2012 agricultural report from Nuffield Farming Scholarships highlighted the property's challenges with severe soil capping and poor water use efficiency following heavy rains, noting that traditional grazing methods were leaving the land bare. By adjusting livestock grazing practices, the Yarmouth Regeneration Project not only sequesters carbon but also helps restore soil health, increase native tree shelter, and improve the overall biodiversity of the property.