The Roper River Carbon Project (Revoked)

The Roper River Carbon Project (Revoked) was a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Sturt Plateau region of the Northern Territory, approximately 35 kilometers east of Larrimah and 150 kilometers southeast of Katherine. Registered in September 2023, the project covered a substantial area of 203,607 hectares. The region is predominantly utilized for extensive cattle grazing on large pastoral leases. The project's location places it within the Roper Gulf catchment, characterized by a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, receiving annual rainfall between 600mm and 900mm. The landscape typically features open eucalypt woodlands and lancewood forests on red earth soils (Kandosols) and sandy loams.

The project operated under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves regenerating native forests by suppressing activities that prevent growth, such as managing the timing and extent of grazing and controlling feral animals like camels and wild cattle. By allowing native vegetation from in-situ seed sources (rootstock and lignotubers) to recover, the project aimed to sequester carbon in the returning forest biomass.

Notably, the project was revoked on February 12, 2025, less than 18 months after registration. The proponent, Wonga Ag Nine Pty Ltd, is a subsidiary entity associated with the WealthCheck agricultural investment group (led by Sam Mitchell), which entered liquidation and receivership in mid-2024. WealthCheck held a portfolio of Northern Territory properties, including Maryfield, Limbunya, and Conways stations. The revocation under Section 30 of the CFI Rule (voluntary revocation) likely occurred as part of the receivership process, where assets were restructured or sold, often unencumbering the land from carbon obligations to facilitate a sale.