Orient Regeneration Project

Orient Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Bulloo Shire, approximately 65km west of Thargomindah in South West Queensland. It was registered in November 2017 and covers a massive project area of 261,947.27 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating native forests by stopping activities that suppress tree growth, enabling native vegetation to naturally recover into forest cover. For this project, the methodology involves the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth, alongside managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. These activities allow permanent even-aged native forests to regenerate from in-situ seed sources, including rootstocks and lignotubers, specifically on land that had been cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing.

The Thargomindah region is predominantly used for extensive pastoral grazing, primarily involving cattle and sheep. The environment is classified as semi-arid to arid, experiencing highly variable rainfall that swings between severe droughts and significant outback flooding from river systems like the Bulloo River. Soils in this outback region generally consist of red earths, sandy loams, and alluvial claypans near the watercourses.

A notable and unique feature of this project is its partnership with the Kullilli Bulloo River Aboriginal Corporation. The Traditional Owners receive a percentage of the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated, which supports them in re-connecting to the land, re-establishing cultural management practices, and accessing the project area to carry out traditional activities, including maintaining bush tucker gardens for native foods like bush orange, bush tomato, and quandong. The ACCUs from this project have been purchased to offset emissions by prominent organisations such as the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Additionally, the proponent, Usher Pastoral Company Pty Ltd, secured a carbon abatement contract (CAC407969) with the Commonwealth in April 2020 for 107,220 tonnes of abatement, which has since been fully completed.