Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #16

Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #16 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the remote rangelands of Western Australia, approximately 150km northwest of the township of Meekatharra. Registered in June 2021 by Terra Carbon Pty Limited, this extensive project covers a massive 237,529 hectares within the Shire of Meekatharra. The project is part of a broader portfolio of conservation sites established across the state's pastoral leaseholds.

The project operates in the Murchison-Gascoyne region, an area traditionally dominated by extensive cattle and sheep grazing on large pastoral stations. The landscape is defined by its semi-arid to arid climate, receiving low and variable rainfall averaging between 200mm and 250mm annually. The soils in this vicinity are typically red-brown hardpan or sandy loams, which naturally support open woodlands of Mulga (Acacia aneura) and other hardy native shrubs. These ecosystems are often degraded by historical overgrazing, which suppresses the regrowth of young trees.

Under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, the project aims to restore permanent native forest cover by managing the "suppressors" that prevent regeneration. In this context, the primary activity involves controlling grazing pressure from livestock and feral animals (such as goats) to allow dormant seed banks and rootstocks to regenerate naturally. Unlike tree planting projects, HIR relies on the landscape's existing capacity to recover when grazing pressure is reduced or timed strategically. The project has a 25-year permanence period, during which the regenerating forest is protected to sequester carbon.