Wapweelah Regeneration Project

Wapweelah Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located on Wapweelah Station, approximately 60km west of Enngonia and 150km north-west of Bourke in NSW. It was registered in August 2015 and covers an area of 24,806.44 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. The methodology requires altering land management practices on land where native vegetation has been suppressed for at least 10 years, allowing it to regenerate into a forest with mature canopy cover. Project activities on this property focus on the humane management of feral animals and controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing.

The Enngonia and Bourke area is known for large pastoral stations, utilized primarily for sheep and cattle grazing. The region features a semi-arid climate, and soils across the Mulga Lands bioregion are generally red earth, sand, and stony loams.

In 2016, the NRMA accessed carbon offsets from this project, owned by proponents Phillip and Diane Ridge, to help meet their corporate sustainability targets. Interestingly, Wapweelah Station also holds a piece of Australian bushranger history; it was near here in 1878 that the notorious bushranger "Midnight" was mortally wounded by police.