The Victoria River Carbon Project

The Victoria River Carbon Project is a massive Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Limbunya Station, a historic pastoral lease in the remote Victoria River District of the Northern Territory. Situated approximately 300km west of Top Springs and near the Western Australian border, the project covers an expansive 523,951 hectares. Registered in April 2023 by Wonga Ag Pty Ltd, the project operates on land primarily used for cattle grazing, aiming to balance pastoral activities with carbon sequestration.

The project utilizes the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves regenerating native forest where regrowth has been suppressed for at least ten years. In this context, the project activities include managing the timing and extent of cattle grazing, controlling feral animals, and ceasing mechanical clearing. By reducing the pressure from livestock and feral herbivores, existing rootstock and seeds in the soil are allowed to regenerate into permanent native forest.

The Victoria River District is characterized by a semi-arid to tropical monsoonal climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The region's environment typically features basalt-derived black cracking clays and red earth soils, often interspersed with rocky outcrops and undulating terrain. These fertile soils support the Mitchell grass plains and open woodlands native to the area, which are critical for both the pastoral industry and the targeted forest regeneration.

An interesting note is the scale and ownership of the underlying property; Limbunya Station is one of Australia's significant cattle properties, covering over 5,000 square kilometres. Public records link the proponent, Wonga Ag Pty Ltd, directly to the ownership of Limbunya, highlighting the growing trend of large-scale pastoralists integrating carbon farming into traditional livestock operations to diversify income and improve land condition.