Black Hill Regeneration Project

Black Hill Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Black Hill Station, which essentially envelops the remote township of Sandstone in the Murchison region of Western Australia, approximately 660km northeast of Perth. It was registered on November 30, 2020, and covers a vast total project area of 142,878.22 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve implementing changes in land management to allow suppressed native vegetation to regenerate into permanent forest cover. This methodology requires halting suppressive activities, such as overgrazing or chemical/mechanical destruction, to allow native forests to regenerate from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers.

The Sandstone and broader Murchison region is traditionally known for pastoral grazing, primarily sheep and cattle, as well as regional mining operations. The environment is defined by a semi-arid to arid climate with a low average annual rainfall of approximately 250mm. The landscape typically features "Mulga" (Acacia aneura) woodlands and shrublands on soils that consist of red sandy earths, loams, and shallow stony soils over hardpan.

This project was set up to establish permanent native forests by managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing on land that had been cleared and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. Partnered with Climate Friendly Pty Ltd as the project agent, a notable aspect of the project is the significant difference between its massive total project boundary and its active Carbon Estimation Area (CEA). In late 2022, the CEA was reported as roughly 30,687 hectares, indicating that only specific zones within the massive pastoral lease demonstrated the necessary suppression history and regeneration potential to qualify for carbon crediting. Over time, variations were made to the project area in May 2021 and May 2022 to remove certain land parcels; this is common on large pastoral leases dealing with overlapping regional land uses, such as regional roads or overlapping exploration and mining tenements. The proponent, Kalm Property Enterprises Pty Ltd, also secured an Optional Delivery carbon abatement contract with the government during the April 2021 auction to supply 250,238 units of abatement.