Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #19

Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #19 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 40km west of Emerald and 5km northeast of Anakie in the Central Highlands region of Queensland. It was registered in February 2022 and originally covered an area of 4,318.51 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating native forests from existing in-situ seed sources, rootstock, or lignotubers. To meet standard methodology requirements, the regeneration must be capable of achieving forest cover, which is typically defined under the ERF as at least 20% canopy cover and a minimum tree height of 2 meters. This is achieved by altering land management practices. For this specific project, the management activities involve ceasing the mechanical or chemical destruction and suppression of regrowth, alongside managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing.

The Central Highlands region surrounding Emerald and Anakie is predominantly used for beef cattle grazing, alongside some broadacre cropping and localized gem mining. The area experiences a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate characterized by highly variable, summer-dominant rainfall. Soils in this region vary, generally consisting of heavy cracking clays (vertosols) typical of brigalow country, as well as sandy loams and gravelly soils common near the Anakie region.

The project was established to restore permanent native forests on land that had been previously cleared and where vegetation regrowth had been actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. It is aggregated by Terra Carbon Pty Limited, which is a major project proponent and active generator in the Australian carbon market. On February 9, 2026, a variation was applied to the project, resulting in specific areas being formally removed from the registered project boundary.