Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #22

Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #22 is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the remote Upper Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Situated approximately 130km south of Paraburdoo and 40km east of the Mount Augustus National Park, the project covers a vast expanse of 346,395 hectares. Registered in February 2022, the project operates on pastoral leasehold land, where the primary historical land use has been extensive cattle and sheep grazing.

The project utilizes the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves changing land management practices to allow the regeneration of native forests. Specifically, the project proponents work to suppress the negative impact of livestock and feral animals, such as goats, that previously ate young saplings. by managing the timing and extent of grazing, the project aims to allow native vegetation, predominantly Mulga woodlands and other acacia shrublands, to recover and reach forest maturity.

The Upper Gascoyne region is characterized by a semi-arid to arid climate, with highly variable rainfall averaging around 200mm annually. The landscape features rugged ranges, broad valleys, and soils that are typically sandy red duplexes, deep red sands, or lithosols (stony soils). These environmental conditions support hardy native vegetation that, when released from grazing pressure, can sequester significant amounts of carbon over time.

An interesting aspect of this project is its inclusion in a broader portfolio by the proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, which is a trading name associated with GreenCollar. The "Site #22" designation implies it is part of a wider aggregated initiative across the WA rangelands. Notably, on December 19, 2025, a variation was made to the project to remove specific areas from the credited zone. This type of variation is common in HIR projects as proponents refine their carbon estimation areas (CEAs) to exclude land that does not show the required forest regeneration potential.