Varna Station Human-Induced Regeneration Project

Varna Station Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Quilpie Shire of South West Queensland, near the locality of Adavale and approximately 100km north of Quilpie. It was registered in April 2017 and covers a substantial 17,215.76 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests on land that was previously cleared of vegetation and where regrowth has been continuously suppressed for at least 10 years. Standard requirements for this methodology involve changing land management practices to allow native trees to regenerate and reach forest cover. For Varna Station, this is achieved by ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and carefully managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. This allows the native forest to regenerate organically from in-situ seed sources, including rootstocks and lignotubers.

The South West Queensland region around Quilpie and Adavale is characterized by a semi-arid outback climate with historically low and highly variable rainfall. The local land is primarily used for pastoral activities such as sheep and cattle grazing. The environment is typical of the state's Mulga Lands, with soils predominantly comprising red earths, sandy loams, and heavier alluvial clays near river channels and floodplains.

Interestingly, while the project originally commenced under private landowners Colin and Jo Creagh in partnership with CO2 Australia, it underwent a significant change in ownership. In December 2023, the proponent role was transferred to the Queensland Government's Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (formerly the Department of Environment and Science). Local Quilpie Shire Council minutes from October 2023 indicate this transition was connected to the state's protected area expansion program, which required the council to withhold new stock route and camping reserve permits to ensure the carbon project's obligations and local ecological values were protected.