Catchment Conservation Alliance - Southern Rivers Initiative Site #2

Catchment Conservation Alliance - Southern Rivers Initiative Site #2 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Paroo Shire of southern Queensland. Situated approximately 100km south of the township of Cunnamulla and just north of the New South Wales border, the project covers a substantial area of 28,320 hectares. Registered in March 2017, the site operates within the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area traditionally utilized for extensive sheep, cattle, and goat grazing.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, specifically focusing on the regeneration of permanent even-aged native forests. This approach involves restoring native vegetation by removing specific suppressors that have historically prevented regrowth, primarily overgrazing by livestock and the pressure of feral animals. By managing the timing and extent of grazing and implementing humane feral animal control, the project allows existing in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers to regenerate into a forest canopy.

Environmentally, the region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with low and variable rainfall. The landscape typically features red earth and sandy loam soils, which support hardy native vegetation such as Mulga (Acacia aneura), Poplar Box, and various Eremophila species. The "Southern Rivers" designation in the project name refers to the broader initiative's focus on improving catchment health in the Paroo and Warrego river systems, which are vital ephemeral water sources in this dry landscape.

As part of the broader Catchment Conservation Alliance, this project is one of several sites managed by Terra Carbon (often developed in partnership with GreenCollar) to improve ecological resilience across the region. These initiatives are designed to provide landholders with diversified income through carbon credits, enabling them to reduce stocking pressure, improve soil stability, and increase drought resilience without locking up the land entirely from agricultural use.