Catchment Conservation Alliance-Southern Rivers Initiative (Revoked)

Catchment Conservation Alliance-Southern Rivers Initiative (Revoked) was a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Mulga Lands bioregion of southern Queensland, approximately 75 kilometers west of the town of St George. Registered in April 2016, the project covered a substantial area of 21,284 hectares. The project operated within the Balonne Shire, a region heavily reliant on grazing agriculture, particularly for sheep and cattle, which has historically led to land degradation in some areas due to overstocking.

The project utilized the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology, which involves changing land management practices to facilitate the regeneration of native forests from existing soil seed banks and rootstock. Unlike tree planting, HIR projects focus on ceasing activities that suppress regrowth, such as mechanical clearing or unmanaged grazing. In this specific instance, the project activities included managing the timing and extent of grazing and controlling feral animals (likely goats and pigs) to allow native vegetation, typically Mulga (Acacia aneura) and associated woodlands, to recover and reach forest cover status.

Environmentally, the site is situated in a semi-arid zone characterized by variable rainfall, averaging between 450mm and 500mm annually. The landscape typically features flat to undulating plains with red earth soils and sandy loams, often classified as Kandosols. These soils are fragile and prone to erosion when vegetation cover is removed. The native vegetation in this area usually consists of Mulga shrublands and Poplar Box woodlands, which provide critical habitat for native fauna when allowed to regenerate.

A significant note regarding this project is its status: it was revoked on August 20, 2025, under Section 30 of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015. Section 30 specifically refers to a "voluntary revocation," meaning the proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, chose to withdraw the project from the scheme. This can occur for various reasons, such as the sale of the property to a new owner who does not wish to continue the project, or a determination that the project was not generating the anticipated carbon abatement. Terra Carbon Pty Limited is a known subsidiary or entity associated with GreenCollar, Australia's largest environmental market investor and project developer.