Darling River Eco Corridor 14 (Revoked)

Darling River Eco Corridor 14 (Revoked) was a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Lerida property, approximately 50km south-west of Cobar in the Orana region of New South Wales. Registered in July 2015 and covering a substantial 25,482 hectares, the project operated under the management of Terra Carbon Pty Limited before its revocation in December 2017. The location is situated within the semi-arid rangelands characteristic of the Cobar Peneplain, an area heavily utilized for grazing sheep and cattle.

The project utilized the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology, which credits landholders for allowing native forests to regenerate by removing suppression mechanisms. In this specific context, the project activities involved excluding livestock, managing the timing and extent of grazing, and controlling feral animals. For an HIR project to be valid, the land must have been cleared of vegetation and regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. The goal was to facilitate the return of permanent native forest from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers.

Environmentally, the region surrounding Lerida Station is defined by a semi-arid climate with variable rainfall, averaging roughly 390mm annually. The landscape is typical of the Red Country, featuring massive red earth and sandy loam soils (Red Kandosols). The vegetation in this corridor usually consists of bimble box, mulga, wilga, and white cypress pine woodlands. The presence of these species makes the area suitable for regeneration projects when grazing pressure from livestock and feral goats is reduced.

A notable aspect of this project is its administrative history. Originally named the Lerida Human-Induced Regeneration Project, it was renamed in May 2015 to Darling River Eco Corridor 14, aligning it with a broader portfolio of projects managed by Terra Carbon (numbered 14 through 20). However, the project was voluntarily revoked under Section 30 of the CFI Rule in late 2017. This section of the rule is used when a proponent voluntarily requests the Clean Energy Regulator to revoke the project declaration, often due to commercial restructuring, land sales, or a decision to re-register the project under a different configuration or methodology.