'Nookawarra Station

Nookawarra Station is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located on a pastoral lease in the Mid West (Murchison) region of Western Australia, approximately 350km northeast of Geraldton and near the mining and pastoral towns of Cue and Meekatharra. It was registered in September 2021 by AI Carbon WA No.2 Pty Ltd and covers a massive 243,870.56 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests on land where vegetation regrowth was previously suppressed for at least 10 years. At Nookawarra Station, this is achieved by managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. By controlling grazing pressures, native species such as Mulga are allowed to naturally regenerate from in-situ seed sources, which include existing rootstock and lignotubers.

The broader Murchison region's land use is historically dedicated to large-scale pastoralism and mining, though many stations are increasingly operating under a dual "carbon and cattle" model. The local environment is characterised by an arid climate with highly variable winter-dominant rainfall, averaging around 250mm annually. The landscape features open alluvial plains, granite outcrops, and laterite breakaways, with soils predominantly made up of strong red clay loams, red earths, sandy loams, and shallow stony soils. These soils naturally support Mulga woodlands and saltbush shrublands.

Originally registered under the name "AIC HIR WA2 NOOKS," the project name was officially varied to Nookawarra Station in August 2024 to better reflect its integration with the property's ongoing operations. The property itself has a rich pastoral history; it was taken up as a sheep station in 1875 by the Wittenoom brothers and peaked at 24,000 sheep. Due to wild dog issues, the property transitioned to a more conservative cattle operation in the late 1990s. The station features a unique homestead built in 2000 from locally sourced rammed earth and granite, incorporating custom furniture crafted from local Mulga and Beefwood timbers.