The Mataranka Springs Carbon Project

The Mataranka Springs Carbon Project is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Roper Gulf region of the Northern Territory. The project area covers a substantial 137,567 hectares and is situated approximately 95km south-east of the township of Mataranka and east of the Stuart Highway, near the vicinity of Larrimah and Elsey National Park. The region is renowned for its connection to the "Never Never" pastoral history and is predominantly used for cattle grazing.

Registered in April 2023, the project is managed by Wonga Ag Pty Ltd, a proponent also associated with other large pastoral holdings in the Territory such as Limbunya Station. The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves changes to land management practices, specifically the cessation of mechanical clearing and the control of grazing pressure from livestock and feral animals. By suppressing these disturbances, the project aims to allow the regeneration of native forests from existing soil seed banks and rootstock (lignotubers) to achieve permanent forest cover.

The environmental setting is characteristic of the Top End's wet-dry tropical climate, featuring distinct monsoonal wet seasons and dry winters, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 1000mm. The landscape typically consists of open savannas and woodlands underpinned by red earths (Kandosols) and limestone-derived soils (Calcarosols), the latter of which supports the region's famous thermal springs and aquifer systems. The project's scale suggests a significant contribution to landscape connectivity in this biodiversity-rich transition zone between the tropical north and the arid interior.