Yarran Downs Warroo Human Induced Regeneration Project

Yarran Downs Warroo Human Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at the 'Yarran Downs' station in the Warroo locality, approximately 50km north-east of St George in southern Queensland. Registered in September 2023, the project covers a significant area of 8,354 hectares in the Balonne Shire, a region traditionally used for sheep and cattle grazing as well as some broadacre cropping.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves regenerating permanent even-aged native forests. Instead of planting trees, the proponent manages the land to allow existing seed stocks and root systems to regenerate naturally. This is primarily achieved by ceasing mechanical clearing and managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing to reduce suppression of native regrowth.

The local environment in the Balonne region is classified as semi-arid to sub-tropical, characterized by hot summers and mild winters with variable rainfall. The landscape typically supports eucalypt woodlands and acacia shrublands. Soils in the area vary from cracking clays (vertosols) on the floodplains to deep sandy loams on the ridges. Notably, the sandy loam soils at Yarran Downs are of particular ecological significance; they provide ideal burrowing conditions for the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat.

A key feature of this property is its role in conservation. Yarran Downs hosts the Richard Underwood Nature Refuge, which was established to support a translocated colony of the critically endangered Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat. This suggests the carbon project likely complements these conservation efforts by improving habitat connectivity and vegetation cover. In February 2025, a variation was filed to remove certain areas from the project's carbon estimation area, a common adjustment to ensure credited land meets strict forest cover capability requirements.