Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #13

Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #13 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project located in the Shire of Murchison, approximately 125km northwest of Meekatharra in Western Australia. Registered in September 2020, this massive project covers 178,162 hectares, an area typical of the large pastoral leases found in the remote Southern Rangelands.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which does not involve planting trees. Instead, it focuses on land management changes, specifically the management of livestock grazing pressure and the humane control of feral animals (such as goats). By reducing these suppression factors, the project aims to allow the naturally occurring native forest, primarily Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and shrublands, to regenerate from in-situ seed sources and rootstock.

The Murchison region is a semi-arid to arid environment characterized by low and highly variable rainfall, averaging roughly 200mm to 240mm annually. The landscape consists of extensive flat plains with red earth soils, hardpan, and shallow sandy loams, often supporting Wanderie tussock grasses and spinifex alongside the Acacia vegetation. The primary land use in this area has historically been sheep and cattle grazing on pastoral stations, which aligns with the project's focus on modifying those grazing activities to sequester carbon.

An interesting aspect of this project is its designation as "Site #13," indicating it is part of a broader portfolio of aggregated carbon projects managed by the proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited. This aggregated structure allows for economies of scale across the vast Western Australian rangelands, where individual station owners (pastoralists) partner with developers to diversify their income streams through carbon credits while maintaining compatible livestock operations.