Kinchela Regeneration Project

The Kinchela Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on "Kinchela Station," approximately 40km south of Bourke and 120km north of Cobar in Western New South Wales. Registered in July 2014, the project covers a substantial area of 13,130 hectares. The property sits within the Mulga Lands bioregion, situated along the Kidman Way highway.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating native forests on land where vegetation has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by grazing or repeated clearing. To generate credits, the project proponents must undertake specific management activities, such as fencing to control livestock, managing feral animals (particularly goats), and ceasing mechanical clearing, to allow the suppressed vegetation to recover. The goal is for the regenerating trees to eventually reach "forest cover" status, defined as a height of at least 2 meters and canopy cover of 20%.

The Bourke and Cobar region is characterized by a hot, semi-arid climate with low and variable rainfall, generally averaging between 300mm and 400mm annually. The landscape at Kinchela consists largely of sandy and red loam soils supporting Mulga (Acacia aneura) communities, woody shrubs, and open flats with box swamps. Historically, this region has been utilized for rangeland grazing of sheep, cattle, and goats.

Notably, in February 2016, the Clean Energy Regulator issued a notice requiring the proponents to relinquish 1,496 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), a regulatory mechanism often used to correct over-crediting or calculation adjustments. In August 2023, the project varied its methodology to the most recent compilation (No. 3) of the HIR determination, ensuring alignment with updated regulatory standards. It is important to distinguish this project location from the town of Kinchela near Kempsey on the NSW North Coast; the carbon project is strictly an inland rangeland operation.