Paroo River South Environmental Project

Paroo River South Environmental Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located approximately 75km northwest of Cunnamulla in south-western Queensland. It was registered in November 2016 and covers an area of 41,445.80 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that projects must be conducted on land that was cleared of vegetation and where regrowth had been suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. For this specific project, required activities include the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth, alongside the active management of the timing and extent of livestock grazing.

The Paroo region is predominantly known for its pastoral land use, focusing heavily on sheep and beef cattle grazing. The area features a semi-arid climate characterized by low and highly variable rainfall, averaging 200-400mm per year. Soils across the catchment are primarily sandy loam (red earths) and cracking clays (vertosols) near the river floodplains.

Interestingly, the Paroo River is known as the last free-flowing river in the Murray-Darling Basin. It is considered one of the most pristine rivers in southwest Queensland and feeds directly into the Ramsar-listed wetlands of the Currawinya lakes. This project was set up to regenerate ex-agricultural land into native vegetation, helping to restore local biodiversity while sequestering large amounts of carbon. Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by the Paroo River South Environmental Project have been actively utilized by several corporate entities, including Smartways logistics, AllianceBernstein, and Urbis, to offset their organizational greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, since its registration, the project has undergone multiple administrative variations, shifting participant names from Matthew Donald Parkinson to its current proponents, Lanin Holdings Pty Ltd and Ninal Ventures Pty Ltd, and noting the termination or lapse of a commercial contract established in April 2017.