Sturt Meadows Regeneration Project

Sturt Meadows Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Sturt Meadows pastoral station, approximately 45km northwest of Leonora in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. Registered on May 24, 2018, the project spans a massive area of approximately 226,261 hectares. The site sits within the North Eastern Goldfields, a region predominantly utilized for rangeland grazing of sheep and cattle.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves regenerating permanent even-aged native forests on land that has been cleared or where regrowth has been suppressed for at least 10 years. To achieve this, the proponent, Victory Creek Pty Ltd, manages the timing and extent of grazing pressures, often by controlling livestock and feral animals (such as goats) to allow native vegetation, particularly Mulga (Acacia aneura) and other local species, to regenerate naturally from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers.

Environmentally, the region is characterized by a semi-arid to arid climate with low and variable rainfall, typically averaging roughly 200-250mm annually. The landscape features vast flat plains with red earth soils, ranging from sandy loams to heavier red clay loams, which support the native shrublands essential for carbon sequestration in this area.

An interesting aspect of this project is its involvement in broader regional sustainability initiatives; Sturt Meadows Station was selected as a participant in the Western Australian Government's "Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Pilot" in 2022, a program designed to improve land management and business resilience. Additionally, the project previously held a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC333111) with the Clean Energy Regulator, which was terminated in January 2022, a common move for proponents during that period seeking to exit fixed government contracts to sell credits on the higher-priced open market.