Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #19

Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #19 is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, situated approximately 90km west-southwest of Gascoyne Junction and 130km southeast of Carnarvon. It was registered in August 2021 and covers an expansive 80,583.48 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve regenerating native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years. Standard methodology requirements dictate that proponents must cease these suppression activities, such as overgrazing or land clearing, to allow the native vegetation to naturally regenerate and eventually achieve permanent forest canopy cover.

The broader Gascoyne rangelands area is traditionally known for pastoral land uses, primarily extensive sheep and cattle grazing. Environmentally, the region is classified as arid to semi-arid, experiencing low and highly variable rainfall that averages between 200mm and 250mm annually. The local soil profile is typically dominated by red sandy earths, shallow loams, and extensive red-brown hardpan plains.

This project establishes permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. To achieve this, the project activities focus heavily on managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, alongside the humane management of feral animals. Interestingly, the project proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, is a trading subsidiary of the GreenCollar Group. GreenCollar is one of Australia's largest environmental market developers and manages a massive aggregation of interconnected conservation initiatives across the Western Australian rangelands, of which Site #19 is a major component.