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 NSW. It was registered in May 2014 and covers 10,542.70 ha.

Avoided deforestation projects involve protecting native forests from being cleared and converted into agricultural systems, such as cropping or grazing land. A standard requirement for this methodology is that the landholder must hold a valid clearing permit or consent that was issued before 1 July 2010, which is then voluntarily surrendered to preserve the forest in exchange for carbon credits.

The Brewarrina region is predominantly known for extensive agricultural grazing operations, particularly sheep and beef cattle breeding on pastoral rangelands. The area features a semi-arid, low-rainfall climate that averages around 400mm annually. Soils in this landscape are generally a mix of red and brown clays, claypans, and alluvial loams.

The project is run by proponents Marie Therese Newton and Robert Lindsay Newton, with Select Carbon Pty Ltd acting as the project agent. Oakleigh has successfully delivered on its Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) obligations, completing two separate carbon abatement contracts in 2017 and 2020. To determine the carbon stock within the project area, the proponents apply allometric equations to tree measurements collected through targeted biomass surveys.