Murgoo Station, Murchison HIR Aggregation

Murgoo Station, Murchison HIR Aggregation is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Murgoo Station, approximately 112km north of Yalgoo and 146km west of Cue in the Mid West region of Western Australia. It was registered in August 2020 and covers a vast 203,399.13 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests by changing land management practices to allow native vegetation to naturally regenerate. Standard requirements under this methodology mandate that the regrowing native forest must be allowed to reach forest cover, typically defined as a height of at least 2 metres and a crown cover of at least 20%.

The Murchison region is traditionally known for extensive pastoral operations, particularly sheep and cattle grazing. The area has a semi-arid to arid rainfall classification and is environmentally characterized by saltbush plains and mulga country. Soils in this catchment generally consist of red earths, earthy sands, and shallow stony soils suited to the dry climate.

This project establishes permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources (including rootstock and lignotubers) on land that was cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing. To achieve regeneration, the proponent implements specific project activities including the exclusion of livestock, management of non-native plants, careful management of the timing and extent of any grazing, and the humane management of feral animals.

Interestingly, the underlying property, Murgoo Station, holds significant historical value. Established in 1873 by Frank and Edward Wittenoom, the station was historically renowned as a prolific Merino sheep stud. It famously hosted the local Murgoo Picnic Races starting in the early 1900s and previously served as a critical communication hub for the remote district, complete with its own early stone post office and telephone exchange.