Challa Station Regeneration Project

The Challa Station Regeneration Project is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 60km east of Mount Magnet in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Registered in May 2018, the project originally covered an expansive area of over 190,000 hectares, though administrative variations in 2020 and 2021 have refined this boundary by removing certain areas.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) methodology, specifically focusing on the regeneration of permanent even-aged native forests. In the context of the Murchison rangelands, this typically involves managing grazing pressure from livestock (and feral animals like goats) to allow native vegetation, primarily Mulga (Acacia aneura) and other acacia species, to regenerate from in-situ seed sources and rootstock. By controlling the timing and extent of grazing, the proponents allow young saplings to mature into forest cover, sequestering carbon in the process.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid to arid climate with historically low and highly variable rainfall, averaging between 200mm and 250mm annually. The landscape features iconic red earth soils, shallow sandy loams, and hardpan plains typical of the Western Australian outback. The land use is predominantly pastoral; Challa Station itself has been held by the Dowden family since 1888. While traditionally a Merino sheep station, the operation has transitioned to Santa Gertrudis cattle in recent years due to wild dog predation and a shift toward more resilient rangeland management practices. The proponents, Ashley and Debbie Dowden, are well-known advocates for sustainability in the Southern Rangelands, integrating carbon farming as a means to drought-proof their business and restore natural capital.