Carella Forest Regeneration Project

Carella Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Carella Station, approximately 20km north of Jundah in the Barcoo Shire of Central West Queensland. It was registered on March 24, 2017, and covers an expansive project area of 26,778.97 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest projects aim to establish permanent native forests by promoting assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, which include existing rootstock and lignotubers. To satisfy the standard requirements of this methodology, proponents must demonstrate that the land was historically cleared of vegetation and that regrowth was actively suppressed for at least 10 years before the project's commencement. For this project, regeneration is being facilitated through specific project activities, namely the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth, coupled with the careful management of the timing and extent of livestock grazing.

The Jundah region is situated in a semi-arid, low-rainfall environment where the average annual rainfall is roughly 400mm or less, paired with extremely high evaporation rates. The area is widely known for its pastoral land use, specifically broadacre sheep and cattle grazing. For instance, the Fitzgerald family has historically run Santa Gertrudis cattle on Carella Station. The environmental conditions are characterized by classic western Queensland soil types, predominantly featuring self-mulching grey and brown cracking clays (vertosols) alongside sandy desert loams.

An interesting note about this project is its active role in corporate carbon offsetting. Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by the Carella Forest Regeneration Project have been purchased by major organizations; Woodside Energy retired credits from this project to offset their Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, and Lion Pty Ltd retired them as part of their Climate Active Carbon Neutral Certification. Additionally, while the project originally included Kurrajong Partners Pty Ltd as a participant, a registry variation on November 4, 2025, updated the participant names to exclusively list local pastoralists Jill and Edley Fitzgerald.