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 in the Banana Shire of Central Queensland. The site sits approximately 25km southeast of the major regional town of Biloela. Registered in February 2021, the project protects 1,074 hectares of native forest on land that is primarily used for cattle grazing.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Avoided Clearing of Native Regrowth) methodology. This method allows landholders to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by voluntarily forfeiting their legal right to clear native vegetation that has regrown after historical clearing events. By retaining this forest rather than converting it back to pasture, the project sequesters carbon in the biomass and prevents emissions associated with clearing and decomposition.

The Banana Shire region is characterized by a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate with a summer-dominant rainfall pattern, averaging between 670mm and 730mm annually. The local landscape typically consists of grazing lands supported by cracking clay (Brigalow) or sandy loam soils. As part of the broader Catchment Conservation Alliance managed by GreenCollar, this initiative offers significant environmental co-benefits. Beyond carbon sequestration, retaining forest cover in this catchment helps stabilize soil and reduce sediment runoff into the Fitzroy Basin, ultimately improving water quality flowing out to the Great Barrier Reef.