Curranyalpa Human-Induced Regeneration Project

Curranyalpa Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Curranyalpa Station, approximately 150km north-west of Cobar and 25km north of Tilpa in New South Wales. It was registered on June 24, 2015, and covers a substantial project area of 12,412.58 hectares. The project proponent is Terra Carbon Pty Limited, which operates as a subsidiary of the prominent Australian environmental markets developer GreenCollar.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects aim to establish permanent native forests on land where vegetation was previously cleared and its regrowth suppressed. Standard methodology requirements mandate the cessation of suppressive activities, such as overgrazing or continuous clearing, to allow native trees to naturally regenerate. The goal is for the vegetation to eventually achieve native forest cover, which is defined under the scheme as reaching at least 2 metres in height and providing a crown cover of at least 20%. This specific project focuses on assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers, on land that had been suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing.

The project is situated within the Murray-Darling Depression bioregion, an area traditionally known for pastoral enterprises, primarily leasehold sheep, cattle, and goat grazing. The environment features a semi-arid climate with predominantly winter rainfall, classifying as a low-rainfall region that averages between 200mm and 400mm annually. The local landscape consists of flat loamy and sandy plains, transitioning to highly fertile alluvial grey and black soils near the property's 4km of secluded Darling River frontage.

Historically, the Curranyalpa property suffered from severe land degradation due to continuous overgrazing. To rectify this damage and meet methodology guidelines, the project's core activities include humanely managing feral animals and strategically controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing. Fencing upgrades and the installation of goat traps have significantly reduced grazing pressure from rangeland goats, allowing key acacia and eucalypt woodlands to successfully recover. An interesting historical note about the property is that it dates back to the late 1800s when the station spanned over 200,000 acres under founding pastoralist W.H. Suttor; today, the site even hosts heritage-listed 19th-century pioneer gravesites positioned on its sandhills. The carbon income generated from the regeneration efforts has allowed the current station owners to accelerate infrastructure upgrades and improve the overall drought resilience of the landscape.