Duff Carbon Farming Project

Duff Carbon Farming Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located in the Paroo Shire of South West Queensland, approximately 60km northeast of Cunnamulla. It was registered in October 2017 and covers a substantial area of 22,308.72 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve regenerating permanent native forests by changing land management practices to allow native vegetation to reach standard forest definitions (typically at least 20% crown cover and 2 meters in height). For this methodology, standard requirements dictate that the land must have been cleared of vegetation and regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement.

The South West Queensland region is known primarily for sheep and cattle grazing, which historically involved suppressing native regrowth to maintain open pasture. The project area operates within the Mulga Lands bioregion, which is characterized by a semi-arid climate, red earth soils, and extensive Mulga woodlands. To facilitate regeneration, the project's activities focus on managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and ceasing any mechanical or chemical destruction of vegetation. This allows native forests to regenerate naturally from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers.

Interestingly, the project site protects an 18km stretch of land along the banks of the Paroo River system, which ultimately feeds into the Ramsar-listed wetlands of the Currawinya Lakes. By shifting operational practices, the project provides environmental co-benefits such as improved water quality and riparian protection in the Paroo River catchment. Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated from this project have been purchased and retired by several major corporations, including British American Tobacco (BAT) and TSA Group, to support their carbon neutrality claims under the Climate Active standard.