Noona Station Native Forest Protection Project

Noona Station Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided Deforestation project located at Noona Station, approximately 95 kilometers southwest of Cobar in western New South Wales. It was registered in November 2014 and covers an area of 18,018.71 hectares.

Avoided Deforestation projects involve protecting native forests from being cleared and converted into agricultural systems. To meet the standard requirements of the Carbon Farming Initiative - Avoided Deforestation 1.1 Methodology, the land must have been issued a valid clearing permit or consent prior to 1 July 2010. By opting not to clear the native forest, the project avoids greenhouse gas emissions and ensures the forest is instead managed and protected for a set permanence period, which is 100 years for this project.

The Cobar region is well known for large pastoral properties focusing on sheep and goat grazing, alongside some cattle production. The area experiences a semi-arid climate with generally low and unreliable rainfall. Situated in the Cobar Peneplain bioregion, the local soils are dominated by red silty loams, red chromosols, and clay-rich vertosols, which naturally support native vegetation communities such as mulga, poplar box, and white cypress pine.

An interesting note about this project is how it has harmonized carbon farming with traditional agricultural improvements. In 2019, when Marc and Jo Griffiths took over Noona Station, they utilized the reliable income stream from their carbon contract to build 15 kilometers of new fencing. This upgraded infrastructure improved their livestock management while injecting money into the local Cobar community through the hiring of local labor and the purchase of local materials. The project proponent was originally Rhonda Hansen, but it was officially varied to Terra Carbon Pty Limited in January 2021. Terra Carbon is a significant player in the Australian carbon market; notably, in 2020, the global investment firm KKR & Co. Inc. acquired a 49.9% stake in the company for AUD 100 million.