Urisino Regenerative Ecosystem Project

The Urisino Regenerative Ecosystem Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Urisino Station, approximately 200km west of Bourke and 140km northeast of White Cliffs in the Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in May 2014, the project covers a massive expanse of 77,863 hectares. The station itself has a long history as a pastoral lease, originally established for sheep and cattle grazing in the 1860s and later becoming a strategic watering point for Sidney Kidman’s cattle empire.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves regenerating native forest by ceasing suppression activities, specifically, controlling the timing and extent of grazing and managing feral animals (such as goats) to allow vegetation to recover. The region falls within the Mulga Lands bioregion, characterized by a semi-arid to arid climate with low average rainfall (approximately 229mm annually). The landscape typically features red earth and sandy loam soils supporting Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Bimble Box communities, which had been severely degraded by historical overgrazing prior to the project's commencement.

A notable aspect of this project is its early involvement in high-profile corporate offsetting. In 2015, Taronga Zoo partnered with Woolworths to purchase Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) from the Urisino project to offset emissions associated with a nationwide educational campaign. The project has also faced regulatory adjustments; in January 2016, the Clean Energy Regulator issued a notice requiring the proponent, Benefit Property Holdings Pty Ltd, to relinquish 2,796 ACCUs. The project's Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC803947) was successfully completed in August 2021.