Nooralaba Station Forest Regeneration Project

Nooralaba Station Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located approximately 85km north-west of Cunnamulla in the Paroo Shire of South West Queensland. Registered in November 2016, the project covers a vast area of 21,423.76 hectares. The Cunnamulla region is predominantly used for cattle and sheep grazing, though it is also a well-known area for opal mining and, increasingly, carbon farming.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve regenerating native forests by changing land management practices to achieve a permanent forest cover, which typically requires trees to reach at least two metres in height and a 20% canopy cover. For this specific project, the primary activity is the humane management of feral animals. This intervention reduces grazing pressure, allowing for assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, on land that was previously cleared and where regrowth had been suppressed for at least 10 years.

Situated in a hot, semi-arid climate, the local environment is challenging, experiencing a low average annual rainfall of approximately 360mm to 375mm. The landscape is characterised by mulga and Mitchell grass downs, and the soils typically consist of red sandy earths, sandy loams, and occasional clay plains that are highly susceptible to prolonged drought conditions.

The project has an interesting recent history. Originally owned by Anthony and Lynette Grabbe, the property was sold in late 2021 for $2.67 million to Nunyara Pty Ltd. The buyers specifically sought the property for its carbon income potential and breeder country, leading to the change in project proponents. Prior to the sale, the Grabbes were involved in a 2021 Queensland Land Court dispute where they unsuccessfully attempted to prevent opal fossickers from accessing a 16-hectare patch of the station, arguing the mining would interfere with their hard work to rehabilitate the drought-ravaged landscape. Commercially, the project holds an active Fixed Delivery contract with the Clean Energy Regulator and has delivered over 129,000 of its committed 208,071 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). Additionally, corporate entities such as AGL have sourced and surrendered thousands of ACCUs from this project to offset their emissions.