Gambolalley Regeneration Project

The Gambolalley Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Gambolalley Station, approximately 50km southeast of the village of Louth and 80km northwest of the major service centre of Cobar in Western New South Wales. Registered on August 25, 2015, the project covers a vast area of 33,125 hectares within the Cobar Peneplain bioregion.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 390mm, though this can be highly variable. The landscape typically features undulating plains with red earth and loamy-clay soils, supporting vegetation such as Mulga, Poplar Box, and White Cypress Pine. Historically, the area has been used for rangeland grazing (primarily sheep and goats). This project utilizes the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves suppressing negative pressures on vegetation, specifically the humane management of feral animals like goats, to allow native forests to regenerate naturally from in-situ seed sources without the need for direct planting.

An interesting feature of the property is the presence of large "gravel mounds" which researchers believe were constructed by an extinct megapode (a large bird similar to a malleefowl), providing a unique link to Australia's prehistoric fauna. Additionally, the project proponent, Charles Allan Mitchell, was awarded a Bravery Medal in 2015 for his role in rescuing a man from a burning vehicle near Dubbo, further highlighting the community resilience often found in these remote grazing operations.