WA Carbon Cattle Conservation Project #102821 Gun

WA Carbon Cattle Conservation Project #102821 Gun is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Gunnadorrah Station, a remote pastoral lease in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. Registered in March 2022, the project encompasses a massive area of 334,330 hectares. The site is situated approximately 600 kilometers east of Kalgoorlie and lies just north of the Trans-Australian Railway line, near the edge of the Nullarbor Plain and the Great Victoria Desert.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves suppressing activities that prevent vegetation growth, primarily grazing pressure, to allow native forests to regenerate naturally. In this context, the project likely targets the regeneration of indigenous woodland species such as Western Myall (Acacia papyrocarpa) and Mulga (Acacia aneura) which have been historically suppressed by livestock and feral animals. Key activities include the humane management of feral herbivores (such as goats and camels) and the strategic control of cattle grazing timing and intensity to ensure vegetation recovery.

Environmentally, the region is classified as arid to semi-arid, with a low average annual rainfall of approximately 150mm to 200mm. The landscape sits at the interface of the Nullarbor Plain and the Great Victoria Desert, featuring soils that range from shallow calcareous loams and earths (typical of the Nullarbor limestone geology) to red quartz-rich sands. This harsh environment means vegetation growth is slow, making the long-term management of grazing pressure critical for carbon sequestration.

The project is developed by RegenCo Pty Ltd, a carbon aggregator that employs a "Carbon Cattle" business model. This approach aims to integrate carbon farming with existing pastoral operations, allowing landholders to diversify income streams by balancing traditional cattle production with the revenue generated from Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). The "Gun" in the project title serves as an identifier for Gunnadorrah Station, distinguishing it from other properties in RegenCo's portfolio.