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

The Kalkadoon and Old Cork Human-Induced Regeneration Project (Revoked) was a large-scale carbon sequestration initiative located approximately 160km south-west of Winton in Central West Queensland. Registered in March 2017, the project encompassed a massive 136,548 hectares, covering land associated with the historic Old Cork Station along the Diamantina River. The project was revoked in October 2019 following the termination of its carbon abatement contract in late 2018.

The project operated under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology, which credits landholders for regenerating permanent native forests by ceasing activities that suppress regrowth, such as uncontrolled grazing or mechanical clearing. In this region, successful HIR projects typically involve managing the regeneration of Gidyea (Acacia cambagei) and other native woodlands within the Mitchell Grass Downs ecosystem. To generate credits, the land must show a transition toward forest cover (at least 20% canopy cover at a height of 2 meters) that was previously suppressed for at least 10 years.

The project area sits within the Channel Country, a semi-arid region characterized by highly variable rainfall and extreme heat. The landscape is defined by the Diamantina River system, featuring cracking clay soils on the floodplains and sandstone ridges, evidenced by the ruins of the Old Cork homestead, which was constructed from local sandstone in the 1880s. The region is predominantly used for cattle grazing, which would have been the primary activity managed or altered to facilitate forest regeneration under the carbon project plan.

Notes indicate the project was voluntarily revoked under section 30 of the CFI Rule, a process where the proponent requests the Clean Energy Regulator to cancel the project's registration. This often occurs when a project is deemed unviable, the property is sold, or the proponent decides not to proceed before any carbon credits (ACCUs) are issued or liabilities incurred.