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 in the Central Highlands region of Queensland. Registered in February 2022, the project covers a substantial area of 4,327 hectares. The region is predominantly utilized for cattle grazing and dryland cropping, characterized by vast open paddocks and remnant vegetation belts.

This project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves regenerating permanent native forests on land that has been historically cleared and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years. Key activities involves ceasing mechanical or chemical clearing and managing grazing pressure to allow native vegetation to recover. To earn credits, the regenerating forest must reach specific canopy cover (20%) and height (2 meters) benchmarks.

The environmental setting involves a sub-tropical, semi-arid climate typical of the Central Highlands, with a summer-dominant rainfall averaging around 600mm annually. The soils in this area are likely fertile cracking clays (Vertosols) or texture-contrast soils associated with the Brigalow Belt, which are highly productive but prone to erosion if vegetation cover is removed.

A notable aspect of this project is its inclusion in the "Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative." This initiative is designed to deliver co-benefits beyond carbon sequestration, specifically aiming to improve water quality in the Great Barrier Reef catchment (likely the Fitzroy Basin) by stabilizing soils and reducing sediment runoff through increased forest cover.