Curranyalpa Human-Induced Regeneration Project

Curranyalpa Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a human-induced regeneration project located on the Darling River, approximately 110km northwest of Cobar and roughly 40km southeast of Tilpa in the far west of New South Wales. It was registered in June 2015 and covers an area of 12,412.58 hectares.

Human-induced regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. To be eligible, these projects are carried out on land where native vegetation was previously cleared and where forest regrowth has been suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement.

The surrounding region in the Murray Darling Depression bioregion is historically known for extensive pastoral operations, having been previously impacted by overgrazing from cattle and feral animals. The environment is considered semi-arid with low, variable rainfall, and the landscape is heavily characterized by flat, loamy soils and red earths.

This project aims to return the historically overgrazed land to health by carefully managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing alongside the humane control of feral animals. To achieve this, the McBride family, who manage the pastoral station, have installed specialized goat traps, upgraded agricultural fencing to reduce pressure from rangeland goats, and introduced a controlled rotational grazing regime. This strategy has successfully enabled the regeneration of key acacia and eucalypt woodlands, simultaneously improving the area's drought resilience, boosting local biodiversity, and accelerating infrastructure upgrades for the station.