Goonamurra & Carpet Springs Regeneration Project

The Goonamurra & Carpet Springs Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 30 kilometers south of the township of Eulo in the Paroo Shire of South West Queensland. Registered in September 2021, the project encompasses a significant area of 27,149 hectares. The region is situated within the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area heavily relied upon for pastoral activities, specifically sheep and cattle grazing, which constitutes the primary land use for the surrounding properties.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects focus on restoring native forest cover on land where vegetation has been historically suppressed. For this specific project, the regeneration is achieved by ceasing mechanical clearing and carefully managing the timing and extent of grazing by livestock and feral animals. This reduction in grazing pressure allows existing in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers to regenerate into permanent, even-aged native forests without the need for direct planting.

The environmental conditions in this part of the Paroo Shire are classified as semi-arid. The area typically receives an average annual rainfall of approximately 350mm. The soil profile is characteristic of "Mulga country," predominantly featuring red earths and sandy loams, interspersed with areas of soft grey and black clays in flood-prone zones. These soils naturally support the Acacia aneura (Mulga) woodlands that the project aims to regenerate.

The project is undertaken by the Wall Family Trust with the assistance of service provider Climate Friendly Pty Ltd. Notably, in May 2023, the project underwent a variation to remove specific areas from the registered project map; this is a common compliance procedure in carbon farming to ensure that only land capable of sustaining forest cover is credited. The properties themselves, Goonamurra and Carpet Springs, are working pastoral stations that have diversified their operations to include carbon sequestration alongside traditional grazing.