Uteara Regeneration Project

Uteara Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located on Uteara Station, approximately 78km west of Bourke in the semi-arid outback region of New South Wales. It was registered in September 2015 and covers an expansive 17,687.44 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve landholders actively encouraging the regrowth of native forests by ceasing or managing destructive activities. In order to generate carbon credits, these projects must establish permanent, even-aged native forests that eventually reach at least 20% crown cover and a height of two meters.

The Bourke and Darling River junction area is known for vast pastoral operations, primarily focused on cattle and sheep grazing. The region experiences a highly variable, semi-arid climate with low average annual rainfall and high evaporation rates. The soils generally consist of red earths, heavy clays, and sandy loams associated with the floodplains of the Warrego and Darling Rivers.

This project establishes permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers, on land that was previously cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years. To achieve this, the proponents manage the timing and extent of livestock grazing and undertake the humane management of feral animals.

Interestingly, Uteara Station neighbours the environmentally significant Toorale National Park and State Conservation Area. The property contains "Lake Uteara" and historical man-made training embankments that divert Warrego River floodplain waters into the station, supporting local ecosystems. Highlighting the vast scale and remoteness of the property, a Cessna 172 crashed on Uteara in 1995 while the pilot was inspecting water bores and mustering sheep from the air.