Farnham Plains Regeneration Project

Farnham Plains Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at the Farnham Plains property near Eulo, approximately 60km west of Cunnamulla in south-west Queensland. It was registered in September 2019 and covers 30,104 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. Standard requirements for this methodology stipulate that the land must have been cleared of vegetation and had regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing. The project's core activities include the cessation of mechanical or chemical suppression of regrowth, the management of the timing and extent of livestock grazing, and the humane management of feral animals.

The Paroo Shire region is largely semi-arid and known for widespread sheep and cattle grazing operations on native pastures. The area experiences highly variable environmental conditions; it has an average annual rainfall of approximately 330mm to 370mm, though it is subject to severe droughts and occasional large-scale flooding from the Paroo River. Soils in the district typically consist of red and yellow massive earths (Kandosols), sandy loams, and highly compacted claypans.

The Farnham Plains property has been managed by the Beresford family since the early 1900s, who are regarded as pioneers of the local grazing industry. Beyond the carbon project, the proponents are heavily involved in other landscape resilience initiatives. Lauren Beresford has actively trialled the use of targeted cattle impacts and multi-species winter forage crops to rehabilitate degraded claypans near the property's cattle yards. The family has also partnered with Southern Queensland Landscapes and "The Creek Doctor" to address endemic erosion and rapid water runoff issues across the property. The property is the setting for the memoir "Unforgiving", written by proponent Carmel Beresford, which chronicles the family's deep connection to the land and their journey following a tragic aviation accident on the station in 2011. Additionally, project participant Climate Friendly Pty Ltd has retired Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated from the Farnham Plains Regeneration Project to offset their own corporate emissions as part of their Climate Active carbon neutral certification.