Karto Regeneration Project

Karto Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on a grazing property approximately 152 km southeast of Thargomindah and near the border town of Hungerford in the Bulloo Shire of South West Queensland. It was registered in November 2018 and covers a vast area of 42,831.04 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. To meet standard methodology requirements, these projects must take place on land that was previously cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to project commencement. The Karto Regeneration Project achieves this by changing land management practices, specifically by ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth, carefully managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, and humanely managing feral animals so that native vegetation can naturally recover and reach forest cover.

The Bulloo Shire and surrounding areas are predominantly used for broadacre cattle and sheep grazing operations. The environment is characterised by an arid to semi-arid climate, receiving a low average annual rainfall of approximately 250 to 400mm. The local landscape typically features hardy native mulga, spectacular red earths, sandy loams, and extensive clay pans associated with the floodplains of the Paroo and Bulloo river catchments.

Interestingly, the project's proponent, Weemabah Pty Ltd, has been a vocal advocate for the protection of the local environment and its water resources. Because the company's cattle operations on the Karto property are entirely reliant on sub-artesian water, its directors strongly opposed a proposed Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project by Glencore. In a parliamentary submission, they warned that the proposal to pump waste liquid carbon dioxide into the Great Artesian Basin could mobilise heavy metals and present a catastrophic risk to the clean water lifeline of rural communities in western Queensland.