Elvanbrook and Dalkeith NFMR Project

Elvanbrook and Dalkeith NFMR Project is a large-scale vegetation regeneration project located approximately 90km east of St George and 300km west of Toowoomba in southern Queensland. Registered on March 23, 2024, the project encompasses a significant area of 24,854 hectares across the "Elvanbrook" and "Dalkeith" pastoral stations. The region, situated within the Balonne Shire and Western Downs interface, is traditionally dominated by broadacre cattle grazing and dryland cropping.

The project operates under the Native Forest from Managed Regrowth (NFMR) methodology. This method credits carbon abatement generated by allowing native forest to regenerate on land that was previously cleared for pastoral use. To achieve this, the project proponent must cease activities that suppress vegetation growth, such as mechanical clearing or chemical destruction, and often implement changes in grazing management to protect young trees. In this specific instance, the project is integrated with a commercial cattle enterprise run by Bidgel Grazing Co, which utilizes cell grazing and regenerative agriculture techniques to improve soil health and pasture biodiversity alongside carbon sequestration.

Environmentally, the site lies in a semi-arid to subtropical climate zone with an average annual rainfall of approximately 500–600mm. The landscape typically features clay-rich soils, including Vertosols (cracking clays) and Chromosols (texture-contrast soils), which are characteristic of the Brigalow Belt and St George Plain. These fertile soils support the regeneration of native woodlands, including species like Brigalow and Poplar Box, once clearing pressure is removed.