Catchment Conservation Alliance Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site 16

Catchment Conservation Alliance Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site 16 is an avoided clearing of native regrowth project located at the Stonehaven property near Thangool in the Banana Shire of Central Queensland. It was registered in February 2021 and covers 1,074.66 hectares.

Avoided clearing of native regrowth projects generate carbon credits by protecting native forests that have been historically and repeatedly cleared for agricultural purposes. To be eligible, landholders must have the unrestricted legal right to clear the vegetation again but choose to retain it, thus avoiding the greenhouse gas emissions that would have occurred from clearing. The project models its carbon abatement using FullCAM and operates under a 25-year crediting period.

The Thangool region is heavily known for its extensive beef cattle grazing and agricultural operations. The area experiences a sub-tropical to semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 660mm, which predominantly falls during the summer monsoonal months. Soils in the region generally consist of texture-contrast soils, cracking clays on the floodplains, and shallow sandy clay loams on the forested ridges.

This project is part of a broader collaboration known as the Burnham Regenerative Production Project, supported by a $787,000 investment from the Queensland Government's Land Restoration Fund. Managed by fifth-generation farmers Dan and Emma-Jane Burnham, the project integrates time-controlled grazing with native tree retention. Beyond carbon sequestration, it was set up to deliver significant co-benefits by reducing sediment run-off to improve Great Barrier Reef water quality, improving soil health, and protecting habitats for threatened species such as the koala.