Tarmoola Station Regeneration Project

Tarmoola Station Regeneration Project is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 25 to 30 kilometers northwest of Leonora in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. Registered in March 2021, the project covers a vast area of 171,879 hectares. The region is traditionally defined by rangeland pastoralism (sheep and cattle grazing) and extensive gold mining operations, with the station itself surrounding significant mining infrastructure such as the King of the Hills gold mine.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating permanent native forests from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, rather than planting new seedlings. The methodology requires the suppression of regrowth to be lifted; in this case, the project activities focus on the management of the timing and extent of grazing by livestock and feral animals. By destocking or controlling grazing pressure, the project aims to allow native vegetation to recover and reach forest cover status.

The environmental context of the Leonora region is semi-arid to arid, characterized by low and variable rainfall averaging between 200mm and 250mm annually. The landscape features mulga scrub and shrublands supported by soils that typically consist of red earths, sandy loams, and shallow stony clays. These conditions are conducive to the slow but steady regeneration of native acacia woodlands when grazing pressure is removed.

A notable aspect of this project is its ownership structure and strategic value. The proponent, Tarmoola Holdings Pty Ltd, is a subsidiary of a mining exploration company (formerly Asra Minerals, now associated with Goldarc Resources). The station was acquired specifically to secure tenure over the land for both mining exploration and carbon revenue. Consequently, the property represents a dual-use model where carbon farming coexists with extractive industry interests, utilizing the same land for environmental regeneration and resource development.