Maxvale - Needle Creek Regeneration Project

The Maxvale - Needle Creek Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Maxvale Station, approximately 5km from the town of Jundah in Central West Queensland. Registered in September 2023, the project encompasses a significant area of 30,491 hectares within the Barcoo Shire. The region is deeply integrated into the "Channel Country," an area renowned for cattle grazing and wool production, which remains the primary land use in the district.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects focus on restoring native forest cover on land where vegetation has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by livestock or feral animals. Unlike environmental planting, this methodology relies on the germination of in-situ seed sources, such as existing rootstock and lignotubers, already present in the soil. To achieve this, the project proponents, C & G Ferguson Pastoral Pty Ltd, manage the timing and extent of grazing pressure to allow young trees to regenerate and reach a permanent forest cover status.

The environment in the Jundah region is classified as semi-arid to arid, with average annual rainfall often falling below 300mm. The landscape is characterized by the Mitchell Grass Downs and channel country floodplains. The soils are predominantly self-mulching grey cracking clays (Vertosols) and alluvial soils along watercourses like the nearby Thomson River and potentially Needle Creek, which supports the regeneration of native species such as Gidgee or Coolibah when grazing pressure is reduced.

This project is supported by Climate Friendly Pty Ltd, a major service provider in the Australian carbon market. By allowing the native vegetation to recover, the project aims to sequester carbon dioxide while potentially improving the long-term sustainability of the pastoral operations on the property through better land management and shelter for livestock.