Native woodland regeneration project MOA21

Native woodland regeneration project MOA21 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the "Moama" pastoral station, approximately 50km north of the opal-mining town of Yowah and 100km northwest of Cunnamulla in Southwest Queensland. Registered in February 2022, the project covers a substantial area of 42,912 hectares within the Paroo Shire local government area. The project is managed by Carbon Regeneration Pty Ltd, a special purpose vehicle associated with Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM), one of Asia-Pacific's largest carbon offset providers.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology, which credits the restoration of native forests on land where vegetation has been historically suppressed. Unlike tree planting projects, HIR relies on assisting the natural regeneration of in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, by removing suppression mechanisms. For MOA21, this primarily involves managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and controlling feral animals to allow native vegetation to reach forest cover status (20% canopy cover and 2 meters height).

Situated in the Mulga Lands bioregion, the project area is characterized by a semi-arid climate with highly variable rainfall, averaging around 300mm annually. The landscape features flat to undulating plains with red earth and sandy loam soils, supporting vegetation dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Eucalypt woodlands. This region is traditionally used for sheep and cattle grazing.

Interesting operational details provided by TEM indicate that active land management on the property includes combating invasive species such as Coral Cactus using biological controls like cochineal insects. The project is part of a broader portfolio of regenerative properties managed by TEM in the region (including projects BIN21 and RYA21), and land managers actively collaborate with neighboring properties, such as Alroy Station, to coordinate pest and grazing management.