Austin Downs Station Regeneration Project

The Austin Downs Station Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Austin Downs pastoral lease, approximately 17 kilometers northwest of the town of Cue in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Registered in May 2018, the project encompasses a significant area of roughly 157,561 hectares. The region is traditionally known for pastoralism, specifically sheep and cattle grazing, within a remote, semi-arid landscape characterized by vast open plains and salt lakes, including parts of Lake Austin.

HIR projects under this methodology involve regenerating native forests by ceasing suppression activities, most commonly by managing or reducing the grazing pressure from livestock and feral animals. On Austin Downs, the project activity focuses on managing the timing and extent of grazing. The proponents have notably shifted the station's focus from intensive sheep farming to running cattle in smaller herds and implementing exclusion zones, allowing the native vegetation to recover from historical degradation.

The local environment is defined by a hot desert climate (BWh) with irregular rainfall, often relying on winter rains that have become variable due to climate shifts. The landscape typically supports Mulga (Acacia aneura) shrublands, Emu bush, and halophytic plants like saltbush and bluebush. The soils in this region are generally red earths and shallow loams over hardpan, which are prone to erosion if vegetation cover is lost, though recent reports indicate the station has successfully stabilized much of the land.

This project is distinguished by the high level of scientific rigor and conservation commitment demonstrated by the proponents, the Jackson family. Beyond carbon farming, they have partnered with Bush Heritage Australia and Accounting for Nature to establish biodiversity baselines, using drones to monitor vegetation health. The station is also notable for placing the first in-perpetuity conservation caveat on a pastoral lease in Western Australia, ensuring the protection of the regenerated native forest for the long term.