Lakemere Human-Induced Regeneration Project

Lakemere Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Lakemere Station, approximately 100km west of Bourke in the Mulga Lands bioregion of New South Wales. It was registered in July 2015 and covers an area of 18,962.49 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, on land where vegetation regrowth was previously suppressed for at least 10 years. The methodology requires project proponents to implement specific management activities to allow native trees to reach forest cover. For this project, standard requirements include ceasing land clearing and managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, as well as the humane management of feral animals.

The Bourke and Mulga Lands region is well-known for pastoralism, primarily mixed farming operations focusing on cattle and sheep grazing. The environment is classified as having a semi-arid climate with highly variable, summer-dominant rainfall. The local soils are predominantly infertile red sandy earths and clay plains.

This project was set up in partnership with the Strachan family to integrate regenerative agricultural principles into their day-to-day land management. The additional income stream from carbon farming, facilitated by the proponent Terra Carbon Pty Limited (a subsidiary of GreenCollar), has taken financial pressure off the property. This has enabled reinvestment into essential infrastructure like fencing and watering point upgrades, demonstrating how natural native forest regeneration and livestock grazing can successfully coexist while actively supporting feral animal management.