Killala Native Forest Protection Project

Killala Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located approximately 50km south of Cobar in Western New South Wales. It was registered in October 2014 and covers an area of 9,843.96 hectares.

Avoided deforestation projects involve protecting native forests from being cleared and preventing the land from being converted to an agricultural system. This methodology specifically applies to land where a valid land clearing permit was issued before 1 July 2010.

The Western New South Wales region around Cobar is a semi-arid environment characterized by low rainfall and typical red earth soils that support extensive mallee vegetation. The primary land use in this area is pastoral, predominantly focusing on sheep, goat, and cattle grazing.

This project was originally set up by local farmer Ken Dunne, who made the decision to protect native forest under a 100-year agreement. The regular carbon income provided critical financial resilience to the grazing enterprise during severe historic droughts, funding trucked-in pasture, new ground tanks for livestock water, and extensive fencing repairs. The additional income also enabled the family to employ their daughter full-time on the property rather than her having to seek work in the mining sector. In early 2015, the project methodology was updated to version 1.1, and the proponent was varied from Kenneth James Dunne to Terra Carbon Pty Limited, a subsidiary entity of GreenCollar.