Hillview Station Regeneration Project

Hillview Station Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 80km southeast of Meekatharra in the Murchison region of Western Australia. It was registered in September 2018 and covers a massive 147,768.38 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent even-aged native forests by altering land management practices to allow native vegetation to regenerate. To be eligible, the land must have been cleared of vegetation and had regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project. Standard methodology requirements dictate that the regenerating forest must have the potential to eventually reach a height of at least 2 metres and a crown canopy cover of at least 20%.

The Meekatharra area is known for extensive pastoral operations, primarily cattle and sheep grazing, as well as gold and base metal mining. The region is situated in an arid to semi-arid environment characterized by low and highly variable rainfall. The typical soils found across these rangelands consist of red earthy sands, sandy loams, and shallow soils overlaying hardpan.

This project, managed by Darren Owen Cousens as trustee for the Platinum Pastoral Trust with the support of Select Carbon Pty Ltd, achieves regeneration by carefully managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. It relies on assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. A variation to the project area occurred in May 2021 to remove certain sections from the original boundaries. Furthermore, the project secured an active carbon abatement contract in the December 2018 auction to deliver a fixed volume of 95,999 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to the Commonwealth. Corporate entities such as Woodside Energy and Climate Active participants have also acquired and retired ACCUs from this project for emissions offsetting.