Paroo River South Environmental Project

Paroo River South Environmental Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Yerrel and Humeburn Stations, approximately 80km northwest of Cunnamulla in South West Queensland. It was registered in November 2016 and covers an expansive 41,445.80 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, on land where regrowth was actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. The standard requirement for this methodology is for the regenerating native vegetation to eventually achieve forest cover, providing a minimum of 20% crown cover and a height of at least 2 metres. Project activities for this site include ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and carefully managing the timing and extent of grazing to allow young native trees to survive and flourish.

The Cunnamulla region is a semi-arid environment historically dominated by extensive pastoral land uses, primarily beef cattle and sheep grazing. The area experiences low and highly variable rainfall, with soils generally consisting of sandy loams, red earths, and alluvial cracking clays along river systems like the Paroo River.

This project delivers notable co-benefits by protecting rare local wetlands and river systems that provide vital habitats for a variety of native plants and animals. Over its history, the project's ownership has evolved, with early proponents Matthew Parkinson and Corporate Carbon Solutions transferring the project eventually to Lanin Holdings Pty Ltd and Ninal Ventures Pty Ltd. An initial 2017 carbon abatement contract (CAC760482) was terminated or lapsed in October 2018. This allowed the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by the project to be widely sold on the voluntary market, where they have been purchased and retired by major entities such as Chevron Australia, AllianceBernstein, and Smartways to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.