Yarrawonga Willara Forest Regeneration Project

Yarrawonga Willara Forest Regeneration Project is a human-induced regeneration project located approximately 180km north-west of the major regional town of Bourke (and roughly 45km north-east of Wanaaring) in the Far West region of New South Wales. It was registered in September 2015 and covers a vast project area of 27,465.98 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve altering land management practices to allow degraded or suppressed native vegetation to regenerate into permanent native forest. Under the standard requirements of this methodology, the proponent must undertake eligible activities to ensure the regenerating trees have the potential to reach forest cover, which is formally defined as achieving at least 20% crown canopy cover and a minimum height of 2 metres.

The Far West region surrounding the project is primarily known for extensive pastoral land use, specifically rangeland sheep and cattle grazing. The local environment is characterised by a semi-arid, low-rainfall climate, with soils generally consisting of red sandy loams, red earths, and clay plains. To promote regeneration, the project's activities focus on the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and the humane management of feral animals. This encourages assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. Notably, this takes place on land that was historically cleared of vegetation and where natural regrowth had been actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing.

Interestingly, the carbon sequestration efforts at this remote site have a direct link to major urban sustainability initiatives. According to a Climate Active Public Disclosure Statement, Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by the Yarrawonga Willara project were purchased and retired to help offset the carbon footprint of the Barangaroo precinct in Sydney, demonstrating how rural carbon farming supports corporate carbon neutrality targets.