Oakleigh Native Forest Protection Project

Oakleigh Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located on "Oakleigh" station, approximately 40km southwest of Brewarrina in the Mulga Lands bioregion of New South Wales. It was registered in May 2014 and covers an area of 10,542.70 hectares.

Avoided deforestation projects involve protecting native forests from being legally cleared for agricultural purposes. Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015, landholders who were issued a valid land-clearing permit prior to 1 July 2010 can earn carbon credits by surrendering the permit, agreeing not to clear the native forest, and preventing the land from being converted to an agricultural system.

The Brewarrina region is traditionally known for extensive sheep and cattle grazing operations. The area experiences a hot, semi-arid climate with unpredictable, low annual rainfall averaging around 300 to 410mm. The local environment is characterised by infertile red earth soils, sandy loams, and claypans, supporting semi-arid vegetation such as mulga trees, shrubs, and native grasses.

This project was set up to ensure the long-term retention of native vegetation rather than converting the land to agriculture. The project has successfully delivered on its early abatement goals, fulfilling two fixed-delivery Commonwealth contracts (CAC182772 and CAC401187) between 2015 and 2020. Select Carbon Pty Ltd acts as the project agent for proponents Marie Therese Newton and Robert Lindsay Newton. The project originally included Ralvimay Enterprises Pty Ltd before a participant name variation was processed in December 2015.