Barcheka Regeneration Project

The Barcheka Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 25km northwest of the remote settlement of Wanaaring in Far West New South Wales. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 18,433 hectares within the Unincorporated Far West Region. The property operates within the Western Division of NSW, a vast area traditionally utilized for extensive rangeland grazing of sheep, cattle, and goats.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects in this region focus on restoring native forest cover by managing the agents of suppression that prevent regrowth. For Barcheka, the specific activities involve the humane management of feral animals, likely goats, which are prevalent in the area, and controlling livestock grazing pressure. This allows native vegetation, typically Mulga (Acacia aneura) and other hardy acacia species, to regenerate from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers without the need for manual planting.

The environment of the Wanaaring district is classified as semi-arid to arid, characterized by low and variable rainfall averaging around 250mm annually. The landscape features red sandy loams, red earths, and clay pans often associated with the Paroo and Bulloo river catchments. These soils support resilient scrublands that respond well to the removal of grazing pressure, making them ideal for carbon sequestration under the HIR methodology.

Notable updates for the Barcheka Regeneration Project include a variation to its methodology compilation in late 2022 to align with updated standards. Additionally, the project's Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC102188) with the Australian Government was marked as completed in August 2023, indicating the project has successfully fulfilled its specific contractual delivery obligations for that period, though the project itself likely continues to operate under its permanence period. The project is supported by carbon service provider Climate Friendly.