Etiwanda Native Forest Protection Project

Etiwanda Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located at Etiwanda Station, approximately 90km south of Cobar in the semi-arid Western Division of New South Wales. It was registered in June 2014 and covers a total project area of 9,932.91ha. The broader Cobar region is well known for large-scale pastoral operations, with land use primarily dedicated to broadacre grazing of sheep, rangeland goats, and beef cattle. The local environment is characterised as semi-arid, experiencing highly variable rainfall that averages around 390-400mm annually. Soils in this region are predominantly red sandy loams and red Chromosols, which are naturally prone to hard-setting and capping under continuous grazing pressures.

Avoided deforestation projects prevent greenhouse gas emissions by legally protecting native forests from being permanently cleared for agricultural or pastoral purposes. A standard requirement for this methodology (Avoided Deforestation 1.1) is that the landholder must hold a valid historical land clearing permit that was issued prior to 1 July 2010. By agreeing not to action this permit, the proponent avoids the release of emissions and preserves the forest for the duration of the project's permanence period.

The project operates on Etiwanda Station, a multi-generational property run by the Mosely family since 1949. Integrating this carbon project into their operation provided crucial cash flow that allowed the family to fast-track major infrastructure improvements, dividing the property from eight large paddocks into 35 smaller ones. This infrastructure enabled the implementation of holistic rotational grazing with long rest periods. These regenerative practices, combined with protecting specific tracts of native vegetation, have helped the property reverse severe degradation caused by invasive native scrub (INS). The improvements have since doubled the station's carrying capacity and left the landscape far more resilient to drought. In February 2021, the participant name on the registry was varied from Stuart and Nancy Mosely to Terra Carbon Pty Limited.