'Catchment Conservation Alliance Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site 14

Catchment Conservation Alliance Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site 14 (also known as the Ivanhoe Timber Retention Project) is an avoided clearing of native regrowth project located at Ivanhoe Station in Coverty, 64km northwest of Kingaroy in the South Burnett region of Queensland. It was registered in November 2020 and covers 2096.22ha.

Avoided clearing of native regrowth projects involve protecting native forests on land that has historically been subjected to repeated clearing for cropping or grazing. To earn carbon credits, landholders must demonstrate they have the legal right to clear the native forest, but voluntarily choose to retain and manage it instead.

The South Burnett region is known for diverse agricultural productivity, including cattle farming, cropping, and forestry operations. The area experiences above-average rainfall for the region and soils generally consist of red basalts (krasnozems), clay, and sandy loams.

This project is a collaboration between the property owners, the proponent GreenCollar, and the Queensland Government under the Land Restoration Fund, which provided a $693,000 investment. Rather than continuing their historical clearing cycle, the owners are protecting the vegetation to produce multiple environmental co-benefits. The retained forest creates crucial wildlife corridors for threatened species, including koalas, and helps control soil erosion. Furthermore, by using carbon income to upgrade farm infrastructure and restrict livestock access to riparian zones, the project improves water quality run-off, ultimately reducing sedimentation flowing into the Great Barrier Reef catchment.