Wathopa Regeneration Project

Wathopa Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 60km south of Thargomindah in Southwest Queensland. Registered in March 2023, the project covers a substantial area of 33,316 hectares on the "Wathopa" pastoral station. The property is situated within the Bulloo Shire, a region traditionally defined by rangeland grazing of sheep and cattle.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which does not involve planting new trees. Instead, it focuses on land management changes, specifically the control of grazing pressure and the cessation of mechanical clearing, to allow suppressed native forest to regenerate naturally. By managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, the project allows native vegetation, such as Mulga and Gidgee woodlands, to re-establish from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers.

Environmentally, the project is situated in the Mulga Lands bioregion, characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 280mm. The landscape features slightly undulating plains with soft red loam and sandy earth soils, interspersed with wide shallow watercourses lined with Coolabah and Box trees. These soils are typical of the "soft mulga" country, which responds well to rest from grazing pressure, making it highly suitable for regeneration projects.

An interesting aspect of this project's history is the timing of its establishment relative to the property's ownership. Wathopa Station was sold in early 2022 after being held by the same family since 1908. The marketing for the sale highlighted that the property had been "destocked," a condition that often serves as an ideal baseline for commencing a carbon project by demonstrating a clear change in land management intensity to the regulator.