Mitchell River Carbon Project

The Mitchell River Carbon Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Bellevue and Nychum pastoral stations, approximately 300km northwest of Cairns in Far North Queensland. Registered in August 2022, the project encompasses a massive area of 216,623 hectares near the town of Chillagoe within the Mareeba Shire. The location is situated in the remote Gulf Savannah region, known for its rugged landscape of limestone karsts and open woodlands.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects focus on restoring native forests by changing land management practices rather than planting new trees. In this specific project, the proponent manages the timing and extent of cattle grazing and actively controls feral animals. These activities reduce the suppression of native vegetation, allowing trees and shrubs to regenerate naturally from in-situ seed sources, rootstocks, and lignotubers that have been suppressed for at least a decade.

The region is characterized by a tropical savanna climate with a distinct wet and dry season. The environment features a diverse mix of soil types, including red gravels, loam ridges, and brown-black clay loams, interspersed with basalt soils that support Bloodwood trees. The area historically supports extensive cattle breeding operations, often described as a "calf factory" due to its reliable summer rainfall and productive grassy woodlands. The property also boasts significant frontage along the Mitchell River, which is the largest volumetric river in Queensland.

An interesting note regarding this project is the underlying property's history; the Bellevue and Nychum aggregation was a high-profile agricultural listing sold to United States-based interests around 2021. The property is recognized for its biodiversity, hosting rare bird species and unique geological features like sandstone escarpments, which the carbon project aims to protect and enhance alongside its grazing operations.