Nonning Station

Nonning Station is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project located in the Gawler Ranges of South Australia, approximately 70 kilometers north of Kimba and 65 kilometers west of Iron Knob. Registered in March 2022, the project covers a massive area of 205,422 hectares, occupying a significant portion of the historic Nonning pastoral lease.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which credits landholders for allowing native forests to regenerate by removing suppression mechanisms. In this context, the primary activity involves managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing to reduce pressure on vegetation. This allows native species, which have been suppressed for at least 10 years, to regrow into permanent forest cover without the need for manual planting.

Regionally, the Gawler Ranges are characterized by a semi-arid climate with low and variable rainfall, typically averaging between 200mm and 300mm annually. The landscape features rugged volcanic hills and valleys with soils that are predominantly skeletal on the ridges and calcareous loams or red earths in the plains. The native vegetation is dominated by chenopod shrublands and Acacia woodlands, such as Mulga, which are well-adapted to the arid conditions.

Nonning Station itself is a property of significant local history, established in the 1860s and once famous for shearing over 90,000 sheep in its peak wool-producing years. Today, the station is known for producing certified organic Dorper lamb and hosting the annual Nonning Gymkhana, a major social event for the remote community. The project proponent, AI Carbon Projects No 3 Pty Ltd, is a subsidiary of Australian Integrated Carbon, a specialist firm that partners with landholders to manage carbon abatement contracts.