Gabyon Station Regeneration Project

The Gabyon Station Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 35 kilometers west of Yalgoo and 200 kilometers east of Geraldton in the Mid-West region of Western Australia. Registered in May 2018, the project operates across a vast area of 270,372 hectares on Gabyon Station, a historic pastoral lease. The region is traditionally utilized for rangeland grazing, specifically sheep and cattle, and is known for its "station stay" tourism which allows visitors to experience the outback landscape.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Human-Induced Regeneration of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest-1.1) Methodology. HIR projects in this context involve changes to land management, primarily the control of livestock grazing, to allow native vegetation to regenerate naturally from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers. By managing the timing and extent of grazing pressure, the project aims to suppress the factors that previously prevented regrowth, thereby facilitating the return of permanent native forest cover on land where it had been suppressed for at least 10 years.

The environment of the Murchison region is classified as semi-arid to arid, characterized by irregular rainfall and hot summers. The landscape features the red earth soils typical of the Yilgarn Craton, supporting vegetation such as Mulga (Acacia aneura), Snakewood, and various karara shrubs. The station has a history of battling environmental challenges, including a significant bushfire in 2011 that impacted a large portion of its grazing land.

Gabyon Station is owned by the Cripps family, who have diversified the property's operations to include tourism and regenerative agriculture practices. Notably, the project successfully completed its Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC787280) with the Australian Government in February 2024, marking a significant milestone in its delivery of carbon credits. The proponents have also explored innovative land management techniques, such as using Maremma sheepdogs for predator control and integrating poultry to aid in soil regeneration.