Southern Queensland Landscapes Conservation Initiative Site 1

Southern Queensland Landscapes Conservation Initiative Site 1 is an avoided clearing of native regrowth project located approximately 80km southeast of Charleville in the Murweh Shire of South West Queensland. It was registered in March 2024 and covers 5,549.20 ha.

Avoided clearing of native regrowth projects involve protecting native forests that have been repeatedly cleared in the past for cropping or grazing. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that landholders must demonstrate they have valid legal permission to clear existing native forest that has historically been cleared at least twice, and proponents must use the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM) to accurately calculate their carbon abatement.

The Murweh Shire and the wider South West Queensland region are predominantly known for broadacre agriculture, specifically cattle and sheep grazing operations. The regional environment is classified as semi-arid, experiencing a low average annual rainfall of approximately 490mm. Soils in this area typically consist of red earths, sandy loams, and alluvial clays along the Mulga Lands floodplains.

This project aims to avoid greenhouse gas emissions by halting the permitted clearing of native forest on land that has historically been subject to extensive clearing, allowing the vegetation to successfully regenerate and capture carbon.