Trafalgar Native Forest Protection Project

The Trafalgar Native Forest Protection Project is a significant Avoided Deforestation project located on "Trafalgar," a property approximately 20 kilometers south of Bourke in the Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in March 2015 by proponent Terra Carbon Pty Limited (a subsidiary of GreenCollar), the project encompasses a registered area of 18,169 hectares. The property sits within the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area traditionally utilized for extensive grazing of sheep, cattle, and goats.

Avoided Deforestation projects under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015 are distinct from regeneration projects. They involve protecting native forest that the landholder already had a legal right to clear. To be eligible, the land must have held a clearing consent (such as an Invasive Native Scrub Property Vegetation Plan) issued before July 1, 2010. By choosing not to exercise this permit to convert the land to cropping or grassland, the project prevents the release of stored carbon and generates credits.

The environment in the Bourke region is classified as semi-arid, typically receiving erratic rainfall averaging between 300mm and 350mm annually. The landscape is characterized by red earth and sandy loam soils, supporting vegetation dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) and bimble box communities. According to case studies regarding the property, the project has allowed the landholder, David Turnbull, to reduce stocking pressure and improve groundcover, thereby increasing the land's resilience to the severe droughts common in the district.