Bloomfield Native Forest Protection Project

The Bloomfield Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided Deforestation project located approximately 70km south-west of Cobar in the Orana region of New South Wales. Registered in July 2014, the project covers a substantial area of 23,678 hectares. The surrounding Cobar Shire is a semi-arid region predominantly utilized for rangeland grazing of sheep, goats, and cattle, alongside some opportunistic cropping and mining activities.

Operating under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015, the project ensures the preservation of native forest that was historically approved for clearing. Specifically, this methodology applies to land where a clearing consent (such as an Invasive Native Scrub Property Vegetation Plan) was issued prior to July 1, 2010. By choosing to protect this vegetation rather than converting the land to agricultural systems like cropland or grassland, the project avoids the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere.

The environmental landscape of the Cobar Peneplain typically features red earth soils and red loams, supporting communities of bimble box, white cypress pine, and mulga. The region experiences variable, low rainfall, making vegetation management critical for soil stability and biodiversity. The project is supported by Terra Carbon Pty Limited, a subsidiary of the environmental markets developer GreenCollar, which specializes in managing native forest protection projects in Western New South Wales.