Woodleigh Station Regeneration Project

The Woodleigh Station Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, approximately 150km south-east of Carnarvon and east of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. Registered in May 2018, the project spans a massive 415,526 hectares of pastoral leasehold land. The property sits within a semi-arid rangeland environment, characterized by low rainfall, red sandy earth, and vegetation dominated by mulga (acacia) scrubland, spinifex, and samphire.

The project operates under the HIR methodology, which involves regenerating native forests by managing the "timing and extent of grazing." By suppressing livestock pressure, specifically cattle, as Woodleigh is a working cattle station, the project aims to allow native vegetation to recover from a suppressed state to reach forest maturity (defined as over 2 metres in height and 20% canopy cover). This regeneration creates carbon sinks that generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

An interesting note regarding this project is its proponent, Richard (Rick) Fenny. Fenny is a prominent Western Australian veterinarian famously associated with the true story behind the book and movie Red Dog. In addition to his veterinary empire, the Fenny family operates tourism ventures in Shark Bay and holds pastoral leases including Woodleigh and the neighbouring Carbla Station. The project is managed in conjunction with Select Carbon (now owned by Shell Energy).