Wancobra Regeneration Project

The Wancobra Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Wancobra Station, approximately 160km north-west of Bourke in the rangelands of New South Wales. Registered in September 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 21,666 hectares. The property is situated in the remote "Back O' Bourke" region, an area historically synonymous with extensive sheep and cattle grazing on large pastoral stations.

HIR projects like this one rely on changing land management practices to allow native vegetation to recover. Specifically, this involves managing the timing and extent of grazing by livestock and controlling feral animals (such as goats) that suppress vegetation growth. The goal is to facilitate the regeneration of native forests from in-situ seed sources (rootstock and lignotubers) until they reach a permanent forest cover definition, typically requiring at least 20% canopy cover and a height of 2 meters.

The environment in this region is classified as semi-arid, characterized by low and variable rainfall. The landscape consists of flat to undulating plains with red earth soils and clay pans, typical of the Mulga Lands bioregion. The vegetation is dominated by drought-resistant species such as Mulga (Acacia aneura) and other native shrubs which, when grazing pressure is reduced, can regenerate into dense scrub and woodland.

A notable aspect of this project is its ownership; the property is owned by Australian cricketing legend Glenn McGrath. Through the entity Cuttaburra CSP Pty Ltd, McGrath secured a contract for the project during the second Emissions Reduction Fund auction in 2015, aiming to "breathe life into marginal land" while supplementing farm income. This high-profile participation highlights the shift of traditional grazing properties towards carbon farming as a viable diversification strategy.