WA Carbon Cattle Conservation Project # 102721 LD

WA Carbon Cattle Conservation Project # 102721 LD is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located approximately 25km northeast of Laverton in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. It was registered in March 2022 and originally covered 197,894.81 ha, before an area variation in August 2023 removed some listed land parcels.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve regenerating native forests by altering land management practices on properties where vegetation has previously been cleared or suppressed. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that regeneration must occur from in-situ seed sources such as rootstock and lignotubers. To achieve this, the project activities include carefully managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, managing feral animals in a humane manner, and controlling non-native plants to allow the forest canopy to naturally recover.

The Laverton area is traditionally known for large-scale pastoral grazing, particularly cattle and sheep, as well as extensive gold and nickel mining operations. The region is classified as semi-arid with very low annual rainfall, averaging around 230mm. Soils in this outback environment are predominantly red shallow sandy duplexes and loams, which typically support hardy mulga-eucalypt woodlands and sparse native grasslands.

This project was specifically set up to establish permanent native forests on land that was heavily cleared of vegetation and where regrowth had been actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. Interestingly, the project has been divided multiple times under Section 77A of the CFI Act. The proponent, REGENCO PTY LTD, also secured an Optional Delivery carbon abatement contract (CAC766768) with the Commonwealth in March 2023, committing to deliver 90,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by this project.