Ballythunna Station, Murchison HIR Aggregation

Ballythunna Station, Murchison HIR Aggregation is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Ballythunna Station in the Murchison region of Western Australia, approximately 215km east of Denham. It was registered in August 2020 and covers 124,833.49 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests on land that was previously cleared for agricultural purposes and where regrowth has been suppressed for at least 10 years. This is achieved by ceasing suppressive activities so that native vegetation can naturally regenerate to reach forest cover. For this project, standard requirements include the exclusion of livestock, management of the timing and extent of grazing, and the humane management of feral animals to allow in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, to establish a permanent forest.

The Murchison region is characterised by a semi-arid to arid climate with low, irregular rainfall. The local soils generally consist of red-brown clay loams, sandy loams, and shallow rocky soils over hardpan. Regional land use is predominantly broadacre pastoralism, primarily sheep and cattle grazing across large, isolated station leases.

Interestingly, the station is the namesake for Eremophila ballythunnensis, a rare small shrub with mauve-purple flowers that is endemic to the area's rocky quartzite hills. Historically, the property has also been known for hosting the "Ballythunna Bush Bash," a community rodeo event established by the property's former owner, who took over the pastoral lease following his survival of a helicopter crash. In June 2025, the carbon project's proponent was transferred from Australian Integrated Carbon Financial Services Pty Ltd to Emissions Abatement Solutions (WA) Pty Ltd.