Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #4.

Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #4 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Shire of Carnarvon local government area within the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. It was registered in September 2020 and covers a vast area of 84,014.15 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. To meet the methodology requirements, this regeneration must occur on land that was previously cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project having commenced.

The Gascoyne region is largely known for its expansive pastoral operations, historically running sheep and cattle across large rangeland stations. The area experiences a semi-arid climate with highly variable, low average annual rainfall of around 200 to 230mm, which is influenced by both summer cyclones and winter storms. Soils in the broader Carnarvon and Gascoyne district are typically alluvial, ranging from sandy loams to sodic clays that are often alkaline.

This project aims to achieve its native forest regeneration goals by actively managing the timing and the extent of livestock grazing, as well as managing feral animals in a humane manner. An interesting note is that the project proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, operates in association with the GreenCollar group, a major Australian environmental markets developer, and received significant commercial backing when KKR & Co. Inc. acquired a 49.9% stake in Terra Carbon in 2020 for AUD 100 million.