Kinchela Regeneration Project

The Kinchela Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 45km south of Bourke in the Orana region of New South Wales. Registered in July 2014, the project covers a significant landholding of 13,130 hectares. The project operates on Kinchela Station, a pastoral property in an area predominantly utilized for rangeland grazing of sheep, cattle, and goats.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects differ from tree planting initiatives; they rely on suppressing activities that prevent vegetation regrowth. For the Kinchela project, this involves managing the timing and extent of grazing (by livestock and feral animals) and ceasing mechanical clearing. This allows existing native seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers found in the soil, to regenerate into a permanent, even-aged native forest.

The environment in the Bourke Shire is classified as hot semi-arid. The region typically receives low and variable rainfall, averaging approximately 300mm to 350mm annually. The landscape is characterized by flat to gently undulating plains with soils consisting of massive red earths and grey clays, often supporting vegetation communities dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Bimble Box (Eucalyptus populnea).

A notable regulatory event occurred in February 2016, when the Clean Energy Regulator issued a notice under section 88 of the CFI Act requiring the proponents to relinquish 1,496 Non-Kyoto Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). This mechanism is typically used to correct over-crediting discrepancies. More recently, in August 2023, the project updated its methodology to Compilation No. 3 to remain consistent with the latest regulatory standards. As of late 2022, the project reported a Carbon Estimation Area (CEA) of approximately 9,428 hectares.