Kergunyah Native Forest Protection Project

Kergunyah Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located approximately 45km northeast of Cobar in central-western New South Wales. It was registered in March 2015 and covers an area of 11,752.47 hectares.

Avoided deforestation projects generate carbon credits by protecting native forests from being permanently cleared for agricultural use, such as cropping or grazing. Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015, landholders must have possessed a valid clearing consent permit issued before July 1, 2010, demonstrating that the forest would have otherwise been legally cleared. Credits are calculated based on the greenhouse gas emissions avoided by retaining the forest and maintaining the carbon stored in the tree biomass.

The Cobar region is characterised by a semi-arid climate with low and highly variable rainfall, averaging around 390mm annually. The local environment sits within the Cobar Peneplain bioregion, which typically features red earth soils, sandy loams, and open woodlands. Land use in the surrounding area is predominantly dedicated to pastoral grazing (specifically sheep and cattle) and extensive mining operations.

The project is operated by Terra Carbon Pty Limited, a subsidiary holding company of the environmental markets investor GreenCollar. By ceasing broadscale clearing, mitigating fire risk, and implementing managed grazing practices, the project aims to improve the vegetation structure of the local open woodlands and shrublands. This active management helps regenerate native plant species, including Acacias, Eremophilas, Callitris, and Eucalyptus, while protecting the soil from degradation and providing a sanctuary for native wildlife. In May 2015, the project was granted a variation to transition its operational method from the earlier 2013 determination to the Avoided Deforestation 1.1 methodology.