Ballythunna Station, Murchison HIR Aggregation

Ballythunna Station, Murchison HIR Aggregation is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project located in the remote Murchison region of Western Australia, approximately 220km east of Denham and the Shark Bay coast. Registered in August 2020, the project encompasses a vast area of 124,833 hectares on the Ballythunna pastoral station. The region is traditionally defined by rangeland grazing operations, specifically for sheep and cattle, and is known as the "Shire without a town," relying on scattered settlements for services.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest 1.1 methodology. This method focuses on regenerating native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by livestock grazing or mechanical clearing. By managing the timing and extent of grazing and controlling feral animals, the project aims to allow native vegetation, primarily Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and shrublands, to regenerate naturally from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers.

Environmentally, the Murchison region is classified as arid to semi-arid, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 200mm to 250mm, which often falls during winter or as a result of summer cyclones. The terrain is characterized by red earth, sandy loams, and clay soils supporting drought-hardy vegetation such as saltbush and bluebush. The project is managed by Australian Integrated Carbon Financial Services Pty Ltd (AIC), which works with landholders to implement these regeneration activities, thereby sequestering carbon in the regrowing forest biomass.