The PDT Carbon and Biodiversity Project

The PDT Carbon and Biodiversity Project is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Legune and Spirit Hills cattle stations in the Northern Territory. The project area is situated approximately 60 kilometers northeast of Kununurra (Western Australia), just across the state border near the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. The project takes its name from the Pastoral Development Trust (PDT), an investment vehicle managed by the AAM Investment Group, which acquired the properties in 2018. The combined aggregation covers substantial grazing land known for its floodplains and cattle production.

Registered in September 2023, the project covers a significant area of over 45,500 hectares. The region acts as a transition zone between the rugged Kimberley landscape and the Victoria River District, featuring a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The environment consists of seasonally inundated black soil plains, typical of the coastal north, transitioning into red earth and sandy loams in the Spirit Hills section. Vegetation includes native eucalypt woodlands and Melaleuca forests, which are the target of the regeneration activities.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology. This method requires landholders to suppress threats to native vegetation regrowth, primarily by managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. By installing new fencing and water infrastructure, the proponents can rotate cattle more effectively, allowing native forests to regenerate from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers. A key feature of this project is its integration with the commercial operations of the Pastoral Development Trust, which aims to diversify station income through a "beef plus carbon" strategy, balancing agricultural productivity with biodiversity outcomes.