Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #25

Catchment Conservation Alliance - Great Barrier Reef Initiative Site #25 is an Avoided Clearing of Native Regrowth project located approximately 40km south-west of Biggenden in the North Burnett region of Queensland. Registered on March 31, 2025, the project covers a project area of 605.48 hectares. The site sits within the broader Burnett Mary catchment, a region predominantly utilised for beef cattle grazing and some dryland cropping.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Avoided Clearing of Native Regrowth) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology allows landholders to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by protecting native forest regrowth on land that has a history of clearing (at least two clearing events in the past) and is legally permitted to be cleared again for agricultural use. By agreeing to retain the forest instead of re-clearing it for pasture or crops, the project avoids the emissions associated with deforestation and sequesters carbon in the growing trees.

The North Burnett region is characterised by a sub-tropical climate with average annual rainfall ranging between 700mm and 800mm, often falling in high-intensity summer storms. The soils in this specific locality, near Booubyjan and Tansey, generally consist of fertile 'scrub' soils, typically red ferrosols or heavy clays derived from volcanic activity or sedimentary beds, which historically made the land highly attractive for clearing to establish productive pasture.

An interesting aspect of this project is its inclusion in the "Catchment Conservation Alliance," an initiative often associated with large-scale project developers like GreenCollar in partnership with proponents like Terra Carbon. Beyond carbon abatement, these projects are designed to provide significant co-benefits for the Great Barrier Reef. By retaining native vegetation in these catchments, the project helps stabilise soil, reduce sediment run-off into waterways, and improve downstream water quality flowing out to the Reef.