Wondinong Station Regeneration Project (Revoked)

The Wondinong Station Regeneration Project (Revoked) was a carbon farming initiative located approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Mount Magnet in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Registered in November 2018, the project covered a substantial area of 77,293 hectares on a pastoral lease historically utilized for grazing sheep and cattle. The project was originally facilitated by Select Carbon (now a subsidiary of Shell) and operated under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects generate carbon credits by regenerating native forests on land where vegetation has been suppressed, typically by livestock or mechanical clearing. The methodology requires landholders to manage the timing and extent of grazing to allow native vegetation to recover and reach forest potential, defined as achieving 20% crown cover and a height of at least two meters.

The environment of the Murchison region is arid to semi-arid, characterized by low and highly variable rainfall, generally averaging between 200mm and 250mm annually. The landscape is dominated by red earth soils, hardpan plains, and sandy loams that support Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and shrublands. As a working pastoral station, the primary land use remains livestock grazing, which the project aimed to balance with vegetation recovery.

Notably, this project is no longer active. It was revoked under Section 30 of the CFI Rule in May 2023, following the termination of its Carbon Abatement Contract in January 2022. The proponents, Lara Jensen and Robert Homewood, are well-known figures in the region. Lara Jensen is a vocal advocate for rural communities and rail safety, having campaigned extensively for better safety standards at level crossings following a family tragedy. Her advocacy work often highlights the resilience required to operate stations in remote Western Australia.