Farnham Plains Regeneration Project

Farnham Plains Regeneration Project is a human-induced regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 20km northeast of Eulo in South West Queensland. Registered in September 2019, the project covers a significant area of 30,103 hectares on the "Farnham Plains" station, a property situated within the Paroo River catchment. The region is traditionally used for grazing cattle and goats, characterized by its remote, semi-arid landscape.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology, which credits landholders for allowing native forests to regenerate by ceasing activities that previously suppressed them. Key activities for this project include managing the timing and extent of grazing, controlling feral animals, and stopping mechanical clearing. By managing these pressure factors, the project aims to facilitate the regrowth of permanent even-aged native forests from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers.

Environmentally, the Farnham Plains area sits within the Mulga Lands bioregion, known for its red earth, sandy loam soils, and clay pans. The climate is semi-arid with variable rainfall, often relying on river flows from the Paroo River system. The project area has been described as having sandy loams with low organic matter, which the proponents are actively working to improve.

The project is managed by the Beresford family, with Lauren Beresford receiving the 2024 "Tree of Life Award" from the Lachlan Hughes Foundation for her regenerative work on the property. Her initiatives have included rehabilitating degraded clay pans using bale grazing and biochar to improve soil structure and water retention. The property also features in the book Unforgiving, written by proponent Carmel Beresford, which details life on the station.