Buckwaroon Native Forest Protection Project

Buckwaroon Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located at Buckwaroon Station, approximately 30km northwest of the township of Cobar in western New South Wales. Registered in June 2014, the project secures a vast area of 11,826 hectares within the Cobar Peneplain bioregion. This area is traditionally utilized for rangeland grazing, particularly for sheep and goats, and is historically significant, with the station itself established during the expansion of pastoral runs in the 1860s.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015. This specific methodology targets landholders who held a valid land-clearing permit issued prior to July 1, 2010. By voluntarily foregoing the right to clear this native forest for agricultural conversion (such as for crops or improved pasture), the proponents prevent the release of carbon dioxide that would otherwise occur through deforestation and soil disturbance.

Environmentally, the region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with unreliable rainfall, averaging a median of approximately 390mm per year. The landscape consists of undulating plains and low ridges dominated by red loamy soils (red earths) and clays. The native vegetation protected by this initiative typically includes Mulga (Acacia aneura), Poplar Box woodlands, and White Cypress Pine, which act as critical carbon sinks and biodiversity corridors in the outback landscape.

The project is managed with the assistance of Terra Carbon Pty Limited, an entity historically associated with the GreenCollar Group, a major player in the Australian environmental markets. The project has successfully secured a carbon abatement contract with the Australian Government, ensuring long-term financial support for the preservation of the forest.