Loch Lomond Human-Induced Regeneration Project

Loch Lomond Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Maranoa region of Queensland, approximately 100km southwest of Mitchell and 90km northwest of St George. It was registered in September 2023 and covers a project area of 5,875.58 hectares within the Mulga Lands bioregion.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests on land where vegetation was previously suppressed, typically by livestock grazing or mechanical clearing. Standard requirements for this methodology involve the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and the careful management of the timing and extent of grazing to allow native forest cover to recover.

The Maranoa region is historically dominated by grazing properties, which are primarily utilized for beef cattle and sheep production. The local environment is characterized by semi-arid conditions, experiencing an average annual rainfall of approximately 500mm. This climate supports vegetation such as Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Poplar Box, which grow predominantly on red earth and sandy loam soils.

This project aims to establish native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. The project is situated on land that was cleared of vegetation and where regrowth had been actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. In April 2025, an administrative variation was applied to the project area, removing certain sections to likely refine the carbon estimation area to lands with the highest regeneration potential. Despite the carbon project activities, the land remains a working grazing property, demonstrating the integration of carbon farming with traditional agricultural land use by the proponent, ENR Hill Carbon Company Pty Ltd.