Congararra Regeneration Project

The Congararra Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Congararra Station, approximately 10km west of Enngonia and 135km north of Bourke in New South Wales. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 29,055 hectares. The region is a significant pastoral hub within the Mulga Lands bioregion, primarily utilized for grazing livestock, including Dorper sheep, cattle, and managed goats.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve implementing changes in land management to facilitate the natural regrowth of native forest where it has been previously suppressed. For this specific project, the regeneration is achieved by managing the timing and extent of grazing and controlling feral animals. This reduction in grazing pressure allows native vegetation, specifically species found in the Mulga and Box woodlands, to regenerate from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers without the need for active planting.

The environmental setting of the project is characterized by a semi-arid climate with landscapes featuring red sandy loams and black soil flood-out areas derived from the Warrego River system. The vegetation typically consists of Mulga (Acacia aneura), Coolibah, and Box woodlands intermixed with native grasses such as Buffel grass. These fertile soils and flood-out zones are critical for sustaining both the agricultural operations and the regenerating forest biomass that generates the carbon credits.

A notable aspect of this project is its role in a high-profile property transaction. In early 2023, the property was sold by the original proponents, Dan and Sally Muenster, to the current proponent, Grimwade & Gordon Land Pty Ltd (a partnership involving the Grimwade family and the late Michael Gordon). The station, along with the neighbouring Ellavale Station, was reportedly sold for a combined $26 million, with the established carbon project cited as a key asset providing "lucrative secondary returns" on top of the livestock operations.