Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #15

Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #15 is an avoided clearing of native regrowth project located approximately 15km west of Mount Perry in the North Burnett region of Queensland. It was registered in November 2020 and covers 1,341.27ha, following a variation in July 2021 where some areas were removed from the initial project scope.

Avoided clearing of native regrowth projects involve protecting native forests from being cleared on land where clearing is legally permitted and has historically occurred. The methodology requires retaining the native vegetation for a specified permanence period, in this case, 25 years, avoiding emissions by ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction of the regrowth.

The Mount Perry area is known for extensive cattle grazing and farming operations. The region is considered sub-tropical with highly variable, summer-dominant rainfall, and soils are generally a mix of red volcanic soils, sandy loams, and cracking clays.

This project operates on a property called "Strathmore," managed by the Dempsey family, who have shifted away from the region's historic clearing regimes. By protecting the native forest, the project provides shade for livestock, protects koala habitats, and controls soil erosion to reduce sediment runoff into the nearby Great Barrier Reef catchment. Income from the expected 31,000 tonnes of sequestered CO2 has funded new bores and dams to drought-proof the agricultural enterprise.