Catchment Conservation Alliance - Southern Rivers Initiative Site #4

Catchment Conservation Alliance - Southern Rivers Initiative Site #4 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Mulga Lands of South West Queensland, approximately 100km east of Cunnamulla and 80km southwest of Bollon. Registered on July 10, 2017, the project covers a substantial area of 17,428 hectares. The surrounding region is deeply remote and predominantly pastoral, with land use primarily dedicated to grazing sheep and cattle on native vegetation.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which differs from environmental planting. Instead of planting seedlings, this method encourages the natural regeneration of native forest from existing soil seed banks and rootstock. To achieve this, the project proponent actively manages "suppressors" that previously prevented regrowth, specifically by controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing and managing feral animals such as goats.

Environmentally, the site is situated in a semi-arid climate zone, with the nearby region averaging between 400mm and 500mm of rainfall annually, often experiencing significant dry spells. The landscape typically features red earth and clay soils characteristic of the Mulga Lands bioregion. Native vegetation in this area commonly includes Mulga (Acacia aneura), poplar box, and ironbark woodlands, which the project aims to restore to a permanent forest state.

The proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, is an entity associated with the GreenCollar Group, a major Australian environmental markets investor and project developer. This project is part of the broader "Southern Rivers Initiative," which includes multiple sites across Queensland and New South Wales designed to improve catchment health, reduce erosion, and sequester carbon through improved land management.