Highlands Station Regeneration Project

Highlands Station Regeneration Project is a human-induced regeneration project located at Highlands Station, approximately 40km southeast of Yaraka and 180km south of Longreach in Central West Queensland. It was registered in November 2016 and covers 56,919.89ha.

Human-induced regeneration (HIR) projects involve modifying land management practices to allow native forests to regenerate on land where vegetation has been suppressed for at least 10 years. To meet standard methodology requirements, the regenerating native forest must have the potential to reach a height of at least 2 metres and achieve a minimum canopy cover of 20%. The core project activities at Highlands Station involve managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, alongside the humane management of feral animals.

The Longreach and Yaraka region is primarily known for pastoral operations, particularly cattle and sheep grazing. The local area features a semi-arid climate with highly variable rainfall and is heavily prone to drought conditions. The region's environment consists of rangelands where soils typically range from clay and loam to sandy laterite.

This project aims to establish permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers, on previously cleared land. Interestingly, Highlands Station has a rich pastoral history dating back over a century, highlighting a modern shift from traditional intensive grazing to integrating carbon farming and environmental regeneration. In December 2021, the participant name for the project was officially varied from Ian Allen to Terra Carbon Pty Limited.