Mullagalah Regeneration Project

Mullagalah Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the "Mullagalah Station" property in the Bourke-Byrock region of New South Wales, approximately 45km south-east of the major township of Bourke. Registered in March 2015, the project covers a significant area of 11,326 hectares. The surrounding region is predominantly utilized for extensive grazing of sheep and cattle, a land use that historically suppressed the regrowth of native vegetation in the area.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve implementing land management changes to allow native forests to regenerate on land where regrowth has been suppressed for at least 10 years. For this project, the proponents, Michael and Tanya Marshman, are managing the timing and extent of grazing and actively controlling feral animals to facilitate this recovery. The project generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by sequestering carbon in the regenerating forest biomass.

The environment in the Bourke district is classified as semi-arid, characterized by low and variable rainfall. The soils in the specific project area are geologically interesting; while the broader region features the red earths and wind-blown sands typical of the NSW Mulga lands, the "Mullagalah" property is also known for local basaltic diatremes (volcanic pipes), which can introduce clay-rich basaltic soils to the landscape.

An interesting historical note is that the property lies near the route of the famous Cobb & Co coach lines, with historical references linking Mullagalah to the Mulga Creek Station area and the heritage of the Bourke-Byrock corridor. The project has also seen expansion, with a subsequent "Mullagalah II Regeneration Project" registered in 2017, further increasing the carbon abatement footprint of the operation.