Glenariff Native Forest Protection Project

Glenariff Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided deforestation project located on Glenariff Station, approximately 103km southeast of Bourke and 102km northwest of Nyngan in the Western Division of New South Wales. It was registered in May 2014 and covers an area of 16,268.16 hectares.

Avoided deforestation projects generate carbon credits by protecting native forests from being cleared and converted into agricultural systems, such as cropland or grassland. A key requirement for this methodology is that a valid clearing permit or government consent must have been issued for the land prior to 1 July 2010. The project activities avoid greenhouse gas emissions that would have resulted from deforestation and allow the forest to act as an ongoing carbon sink, using allometric equations and biomass surveys to measure the protected carbon stock.

The surrounding Brewarrina and Bourke shires are traditionally known for pastoral operations, predominantly grazing sheep, rangeland goats, and cattle, alongside some cereal cropping on arable land. The local environment is characterised by a hot, semi-arid climate with low and highly variable annual rainfall averaging between 300mm and 400mm. Soils across the region and on the property generally consist of red loams, gravel ridges, and heavier clay soils.

The project is managed by proponents Gregory Hollis and Veronica Milligan, with Select Carbon Pty Ltd acting as the project agent. The property was contracted to the Australian Government's Emissions Reduction Fund in April 2015, and this carbon abatement contract (CAC137406) was successfully completed in late 2023. The property faced significant environmental challenges in March 2023 when a major bushfire burnt through more than 7,530 hectares of Glenariff Station, requiring extensive containment efforts by the Rural Fire Service to protect the landscape.