Flanders Carbon Project

Flanders Carbon Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 120km south of Charleville in the Wyandra-Cunnamulla region of South West Queensland. It was registered in April 2016 and covers an expansive 68,174 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve implementing changes in agricultural land management practices to allow native forests to regenerate on land that was previously cleared where regrowth has been suppressed for at least 10 years. For this specific methodology, standard requirements typically involve ceasing mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and closely managing the timing and extent of grazing. This allows vegetation from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers to eventually achieve permanent, even-aged native forest cover.

The South West Queensland region is traditionally known for intensive sheep and cattle grazing. The environment experiences a semi-arid climate with low and highly variable rainfall. The soils in the project area, which intersects with the Wyandra-Cunnamulla Claypans Aggregation, predominantly consist of red earths, mulga soils, and claypans.

Initially operated on severely drought-impacted and overgrazed land, the project underwent a major restructure in February 2018 when additional land and 37,422 Kyoto Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) were transferred from the nearby Milhouse Regeneration project under s.52 of the CFI Rule. The project is managed by Paniri Holdings and Paniri Ventures, which worked closely with the Queensland Government in 2022 to establish the 8,200-hectare Ardgour Station Nature Refuge within the station's bounds. This conservation effort involves removing internal fencing to improve wildlife movement, mapping local flora and fauna, conducting cultural heritage surveys with Traditional Owners, and protecting important local wetlands. ACCUs generated by the Flanders Carbon Project are regularly utilised by major corporations, such as AGL Energy, to offset their corporate emissions and offer carbon-neutral products to their retail customers.