SouthGlen Native Forest Regeneration Project

The SouthGlen Native Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Paroo Shire of southwest Queensland, approximately 95km east of Cunnamulla and 100km west of Bollon. Registered in November 2016, the project covers a substantial area of 27,978 hectares within the Mulga Lands bioregion. This remote area is traditionally used for extensive grazing of sheep and cattle, characterized by its flat to undulating plains and acacia scrublands.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves implementing land management changes to facilitate the regrowth of native forest on land where vegetation was previously suppressed for at least 10 years. Unlike environmental planting, HIR does not involve planting seedlings; instead, it relies on assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources (such as rootstock and lignotubers). For SouthGlen, the primary project activities involve managing the timing and extent of grazing and humanely controlling feral animals (likely goats, which are prevalent in the area and consume saplings) to allow the native Mulga forest to recover and reach forest cover maturity.

Environmentally, the region is classified as semi-arid, experiencing hot summers and variable rainfall that averages between 300mm to 500mm annually. The soil landscape is dominated by Kandosols, often referred to as red earths or massive earths, which are typical of the Mulga Lands. These soils are generally low in fertility with a sandy to loamy surface, supporting the native acacia shrublands that this project aims to regenerate.

An interesting facet of the SouthGlen project is its significant contribution to the Australian carbon market; the proponents, John and Luke Kerin, hold a fixed delivery contract with the Clean Energy Regulator to supply over 277,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). This project is part of a broader trend in the Paroo and Balonne shires where pastoralists have diversified into carbon farming by reducing grazing pressure to sequester carbon in regenerating native timber.