Mulgaroon Forest Regeneration Project

Mulgaroon Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Mulgaroon Station, approximately 95km northwest of Cobar and south of Bourke in the Far West region of New South Wales. It was registered in April 2015 and covers an expansive 21,693 hectares across the Bourke local government area.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve changing land management practices to allow native forests to naturally regenerate from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. A standard requirement for this methodology determination is that the regeneration must establish a permanent, even-aged native forest capable of achieving forest cover, typically defined as at least 20% canopy cover and a height of 2 metres. This is achieved by ceasing or modifying the land management activities that previously suppressed the regrowth.

The semi-arid Far West region of NSW around Cobar and Bourke is predominantly used for sheep and cattle grazing, although carbon farming has become increasingly significant as a secondary land use. The region is known for its hot and dry environmental conditions, experiencing low and historically unreliable rainfall averaging between 300mm and 400mm annually. Soils in this landscape are typically composed of red earths, red sandy loams, and heavier clay soils in the broader floodplains.

This project specifically focuses on land that had been cleared of native vegetation and where natural regrowth was actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing. To facilitate regeneration, the proponents, Anne-Marie and Jean-Luc Robert Schmitt, alongside their agent Climate Friendly Pty Ltd, are managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and implementing humane feral animal management. Notably, in October 2022, the project underwent a methodology variation and released voluntary Carbon Estimation Area (CEA) data, revealing an active crediting footprint of 8,891 hectares within the larger property boundary.