Nantilla Regeneration Project

Nantilla Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 100km northeast of the opal-mining town of White Cliffs in the Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in September 2015, the project covers a vast area of 36,578 hectares, encompassing the Nantilla pastoral station. This remote area is situated roughly 80km southwest of Wanaaring and 200km northeast of Wilcannia, placing it deep within the semi-arid rangelands of the Australian outback.

The region is defined by the Mulga Lands bioregion, characterized by low, irregular rainfall averaging roughly 250mm annually. The landscape features stony rises, red sandy earth, and skeletal soils that support vegetation dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura), scattered Bimble Box, and native grasses. Historically, this land has been utilized for extensive grazing of sheep and cattle, which can suppress the regrowth of native vegetation.

This project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology. This method does not involve planting new trees; instead, it generates carbon credits by allowing existing native vegetation to regenerate into permanent forest. The project activities primarily focus on managing grazing pressure, specifically by controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing and humanely managing feral animals such as goats, which are a common pest in the area that consume young tree saplings.

An interesting aspect of the Nantilla Regeneration Project is its scale and location on a working pastoral property. By integrating carbon farming with traditional agriculture, the landholders (Kalm Family Trust) aim to improve land condition and drought resilience while generating an alternative income stream. The project uses the 2013 HIR methodology and relies on the FullCAM model to estimate carbon abatement.