Mount Oxley Native Forest Protection Project

Mount Oxley Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided Deforestation project located at Mount Oxley, approximately 32km south-east of Bourke in outback NSW. It was registered in August 2014 and covers a total project area of 15,211.07 Ha.

Avoided Deforestation projects prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions by protecting native forests from being deforested and converted to agricultural systems. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that the land must have had a valid clearing permit issued before 1 July 2010. By opting not to clear the forest, the project secures carbon stored in the vegetation, using allometric equations and biomass surveys applied to tree measurements to determine the protected carbon stock.

The area around Mount Oxley falls within the semi-arid Far West region of New South Wales, an area widely utilized for grazing on vast sheep and cattle stations. The climate is dry with low annual rainfall, and local soil types are typically sandy loams, red earths, and duric hardpan soils adapted to the arid outback conditions. The project encompasses Rossmore Station, which surrounds the prominent mesa-like inselberg of Mount Oxley. This landmark rises 150 metres above the Western Plains and supports semi-arid adapted flora like Acacia, leopardwood, and desert bloodwood.

The project is managed by proponents Marie Therese Newton and Robert Lindsay Newton, with Select Carbon Pty Ltd acting as the agent. In December 2016, a variation transitioned the project from the original 2013 methodology to the 1.1 version of the 2015 Avoided Deforestation determination. A further variation in May 2022 formally updated the participant names from Lindsay Newton to Robert and Marie Newton. Notably, the project was contracted in April 2015 and successfully completed its carbon abatement contract (CAC226989) with the Clean Energy Regulator in May 2022. The site itself, Rossmore Station, has a deep heritage; Mount Oxley (known as Oombi Oombi to Indigenous Australians) was historically quarried for grinding stones by indigenous elders, and today the Newton family's property offers bush camping and immersive outback nature experiences.