Kalkadoon and Old Cork Human-Induced Regeneration Project (Revoked)

Kalkadoon and Old Cork Human-Induced Regeneration Project (Revoked) was a Human-induced regeneration project located approximately 120km southwest of Winton in the Channel Country of western Queensland. It was registered in March 2017 and covered an expansive area of 136,548.89 hectares. The Winton and Diamantina region is predominantly used for large-scale pastoral operations, specifically cattle grazing on historic properties such as the Old Cork Station. The local environment is characterised by a semi-arid climate, featuring Mitchell grass plains, with soils consisting primarily of red and brown cracking clays and some stony gibber plains.

Human-induced regeneration (HIR) projects involve regenerating native forests by altering land management practices. Under this methodology, projects must demonstrate that native vegetation can reach forest cover, typically defined as achieving a minimum of 20% canopy cover and trees reaching at least 2 metres in height. For this project, the primary activity was the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction, as well as the cessation of regrowth suppression.

The Kalkadoon and Old Cork project aimed to establish permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. It was situated on land that had been cleared of vegetation and where regrowth had been actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project’s commencement.

An interesting note about this project is its short lifespan. The project was initially contracted with the Clean Energy Regulator in April 2017 under Carbon Abatement Contract CAC777975. However, this contract was terminated or lapsed by October 2018. Subsequently, the project was officially revoked on the 1st of October 2019 under section 30 of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule. The project was originally set up by proponent Robert Andrew Banning, with CO2 Australia Pty Ltd involved as another participant.