Wapweelah Regeneration Project

Wapweelah Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project located on Wapweelah Station, an extensive grazing property situated approximately 60 km west of Enngonia and 150 km north-west of Bourke in semi-arid north-western New South Wales. It was registered in August 2015 and spans an area of 24,806.44 hectares. The project is managed by proponent Phillip Hugh Ridge, who also operates the nearby Jandra Station, with Climate Friendly Pty Ltd acting as the project agent.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration by altering land management practices. This methodology requires the implementation of new management activities on land where native vegetation has been suppressed for at least 10 years, allowing it to regenerate into a forest with a mature canopy cover. For the Wapweelah Regeneration Project, the specific activities involve the humane management of feral animals and controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing. This is intended to encourage the in-situ seed sources, including rootstocks and lignotubers, to naturally regenerate.

The Bourke and Enngonia region is traditionally utilized for extensive pastoral grazing, primarily focusing on sheep and cattle operations. The environment is classified as semi-arid, experiencing low average rainfall. The soils at Wapweelah are typically massive red earths, characterized by eroded areas, claypans, and encroached native shrublands with sparse perennial grasses.

An interesting historical note about Wapweelah Station is that in 1878, the notorious bushranger "Midnight" (Thomas Law), who inspired the character Captain Starlight in the classic Australian novel Robbery Under Arms, was mortally wounded by police and died on the property. He is buried near Irrara Creek on the station. In recent years, the carbon project itself has been the subject of media scrutiny regarding its environmental integrity. Some independent reports have claimed the area's tree cover has not sufficiently increased since the project's inception and assessed it as "high risk," highlighting the complexities of regenerating native forests in semi-arid grazing environments.