HCA Beef Cattle Herd Management Project (Revoked)

The HCA Beef Cattle Herd Management Project (Revoked) was an agricultural carbon abatement initiative registered in the Emerald region of Central Queensland, approximately 270km west of Rockhampton. Registered in June 2016, the project was managed by Hewitt Agribusiness Pty Ltd (formerly Hewitt Cattle Australia), a major large-scale livestock enterprise. The project operated for approximately 18 months before being voluntarily revoked in December 2017.

The project operated under the Beef Cattle Herd Management methodology, which aims to reduce the emissions intensity of beef production. By implementing management changes, such as improving herd genetics, nutrition, or culling unproductive animals, producers can increase the ratio of liveweight to age in their cattle. This efficiency means cattle reach market weight faster or produce more meat per unit of methane emitted. Specifically, this project targeted increasing the weight-to-age ratio of the herd to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

The Emerald region (postcode 4720) is a hub for the Central Highlands' agricultural sector, characterized by a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate with summer-dominant rainfall. The landscape features fertile cracking clay and basalt soils that support extensive cattle grazing and cropping operations. While the project was active, it would have been subject to the environmental variability typical of this region, where pasture quality is closely linked to seasonal rainfall.

Interesting to note is the administrative activity on this file long after its closure; despite being revoked in 2017 with zero credits issued, the participant name was updated in the registry in December 2023 to reflect the corporate rebrand from Hewitt Cattle Australia to Hewitt Agribusiness. This suggests a retrospective data cleanup by the regulator or the proponent.