Lockabie Road Missing Cattle Mitigation Regeneration Project

Lockabie Road Missing Cattle Mitigation Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 50km northeast of the township of Quilpie in South West Queensland. Registered in September 2023, the project covers a substantial area of 26,537 hectares. The site is situated within the Quilpie Shire Council area, accessible via Lockabie Road which runs towards Adavale.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating native forests by ceasing activities that previously suppressed vegetation growth. In this context, the project area consists of land that was cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was actively suppressed, likely by livestock grazing, for at least 10 years prior to registration. The project activity primarily involves managing the timing and extent of grazing to allow native forest cover to re-establish, thereby storing carbon in the biomass.

The Quilpie region is part of the Mulga Lands bioregion, characterized by a semi-arid climate with irregular rainfall averaging between 300mm to 400mm annually. The landscape is typically dominated by mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and shrublands on red earth soils and sandy loams. The primary land use in this remote area is extensive grazing of cattle and sheep, often on large pastoral leases where vegetation management is a key operational factor.

The project is undertaken by proponent James Rennick with the assistance of carbon farming service provider Climate Friendly Pty Ltd. A notable aspect of this project is its distinct name, "Missing Cattle Mitigation," which likely references a specific paddock or block within the station known for dense scrub where livestock were difficult to muster, a common challenge in the Mulga Lands that makes carbon farming a viable alternative income stream for such areas.