Byrock Station Regrowth Project

Byrock Station Regrowth Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located near the small village of Byrock, approximately 80km southeast of Bourke in the Orana region of New South Wales. Registered on March 26, 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 11,688.90 hectares. The site sits within the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area historically utilized for extensive rangeland grazing of sheep and cattle.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve implementing land management changes to allow native vegetation to regenerate into forest. Standard requirements for this methodology include suppressing threats to regrowth, primarily by managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and controlling feral animals such as goats. The objective is to facilitate the regeneration of native species from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, or lignotubers until they reach forest potential, defined as a canopy cover of at least 20% and a height of 2 meters.

The environment in the Byrock region is classified as semi-arid, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 350mm to 400mm. The landscape typically features flat to undulating plains with red earth soils (often classified as Red Kandosols or Chromosols) and clay loams. Vegetation in this district is dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Bimble Box communities, which are well-adapted to the dry conditions but can be suppressed by overgrazing.

The project proponent is Colm James Dempsey, operating with JB Carbon Services Pty Ltd as the agent. Notably, this project secured a carbon abatement contract with the Australian Government during the April 2015 auction, committing to deliver Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by the regenerating forest.