Brindingabba Human-Induced Regeneration Project

The Brindingabba Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a native forest regeneration initiative located approximately 175 kilometers northwest of Bourke in New South Wales. Originally established on the historic Brindingabba Station, a pastoral property near the Queensland border and the town of Hungerford, the project covers 33,465 hectares. It was registered in June 2015 and sits within the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area traditionally utilized for extensive grazing of sheep and cattle but increasingly valued for conservation.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology, which credits landholders for allowing native forests to regenerate by suppressing distinct threats, primarily grazing pressure and feral animals. By managing the timing and extent of grazing and controlling pests like feral goats, the project allows suppressed vegetation, such as Mulga, Gidgee, and Coolibah, to regrow from in-situ seed sources and rootstock. This specific project is situated in a semi-arid climate zone characterized by red clay soils, stony rises, and significant alluvial floodplains associated with the Cuttaburra Basin and Paroo River systems.

A notable feature of this project is its transition from private to public stewardship. In late 2022, the NSW Government, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, acquired Brindingabba Station to create the Brindingabba National Park. Consequently, the project proponent role transferred from the private developer, Terra Carbon, to the state environmental department (now the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water). The site is of high ecological significance, protecting parts of the Yantabulla Swamp, and its name is thought to mean "thunder talks" in the local Kunja language.