Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #23

Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #23 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 65 kilometres east of Carnarvon in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Registered in December 2022, the project covers a significant area of 25,732 hectares. The project operates on land defined as rangelands, which is typically used for extensive pastoral grazing of sheep and cattle.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects focus on restoring native forests on land where vegetation has been historically suppressed. Rather than planting new trees, this methodology relies on the assisted regeneration of in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers. To achieve this, the project proponent implements management activities such as controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing and managing feral animals (such as goats) that would otherwise eat the young regrowth. The goal is to allow the suppressed vegetation to recover and form a permanent even-aged native forest.

The Gascoyne region is a semi-arid to arid environment, characterized by low and variable rainfall, typically averaging around 200mm to 250mm annually. The landscape is dominated by red sandy earth and loam soils, often supporting vegetation types such as Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and shrublands. These hardy native species are well-adapted to the harsh conditions and are the primary target for regeneration in this carbon project.

An interesting aspect of this project is its naming convention ("Site #23"), which indicates it is part of a larger aggregated portfolio managed by Terra Carbon Pty Limited. This "aggregated" approach allows for the efficient management of multiple carbon abatement sites across the vast Western Australian rangelands, streamlining monitoring and compliance for the proponent.