Tonkoro Regeneration Project (Revoked)

Tonkoro Regeneration Project (Revoked) is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located on Tonkoro Station, approximately 245km south of Winton and 240km south-west of Longreach in Western Queensland. Registered in May 2018, the project spans an extensive 137,510 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest involves establishing permanent native forests by assisting natural regeneration on land where vegetation has previously been cleared and regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years. Standard requirements for this methodology include ceasing mechanical or chemical destruction of vegetation and carefully managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. By removing these suppressing factors, native forests can naturally regenerate from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers until they reach forest cover.

The region surrounding Winton and Longreach is traditionally used for large-scale sheep and cattle grazing. Situated near the headwaters of the Lake Eyre Basin, the area features a semi-arid climate with low and highly variable rainfall. The local environment is part of the Channel Country bioregion, with soils typically consisting of cracking clays (common in Mitchell grass downs), sandy loams, and red earths, which support fragile outback ecosystems.

Interestingly, although this carbon project was revoked in January 2020 and its carbon abatement contract (CAC245317) formally lapsed, the land itself has since gained immense environmental prominence. In early 2024, the Queensland State Government purchased Tonkoro Station, along with neighbouring properties like Melrose and Vergemont, to transition the land from a working cattle station into a massive protected national park. This historic acquisition helps form a 1.5 million-hectare continuous conservation corridor, securing critical habitat for threatened species such as the endangered night parrot and the vulnerable yellow-footed rock-wallaby.