Curranyalpa Human-Induced Regeneration Project

The Curranyalpa Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Curranyalpa Station, approximately 15km south of the village of Tilpa and 130km northwest of Cobar in Western New South Wales. Registered in June 2015, the project covers a significant area of 12,412 hectares. The region is situated within the Cobar Shire and the Western Division of NSW, an area historically dominated by extensive pastoral leases used for grazing sheep, cattle, and rangeland goats.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects differ from tree planting projects as they do not involves planting seedlings. Instead, the methodology requires landholders to facilitate the regeneration of native forests from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers. This is achieved by suppressing the activities that previously prevented regrowth, such as unmanaged livestock grazing and feral animal activity. To generate credits, the land must progress toward "forest cover," defined as achieving 20% canopy cover and a height of 2 metres.

The environmental conditions at Curranyalpa are typical of the semi-arid Cobar Peneplain and Darling Riverine Plains. The area experiences low and variable rainfall, averaging roughly 300mm annually. Soils in this region are a mix of red earths (kandosols) in the Mulga lands and heavier grey clays (vertosols) near the Darling River floodplains.

An interesting note about this project is its proponent structure; Terra Carbon Pty Limited is a subsidiary of the GreenCollar Group, one of Australia's largest environmental markets investors. Additionally, the project holds a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC101947) with the Australian Government, secured in April 2016, committing it to deliver a fixed volume of carbon credits over time.