Gambolalley Regeneration Project

Gambolalley Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Gambolalley pastoral station in the remote rangelands of Western New South Wales. The project area is situated approximately 50 kilometers southeast of the small township of Louth and roughly 130 kilometers northwest of the regional mining hub of Cobar. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 33,125 hectares, which is typical for the extensive "Western Division" grazing leases in this region.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which awards carbon credits for regenerating native forests on land where vegetation growth was previously suppressed, in this case, for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. The primary activity listed for Gambolalley is the humane management of feral animals. In the Cobar Peneplain bioregion, this specifically involves controlling feral goat populations, which are notorious for overgrazing young seedlings and preventing the natural regeneration of native species such as Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Bimble Box. By managing this grazing pressure, the project allows the in-situ seed bank to recover and establish a permanent, even-aged native forest.

Environmentally, the region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with highly variable rainfall, averaging roughly 350mm annually. The landscape consists of undulating plains and low ridges featuring red earth and red sandy loam soils. These soils naturally support open woodlands and shrublands, which are the target vegetation communities for this regeneration effort.

An interesting administrative note regarding the project is the evolution of its participants. Originally involving both Janice Faye Mitchell and Charles Allan Mitchell, the participant structure was varied in 2019 to list Charles Allan Mitchell as the sole proponent. Additionally, the project is supported by Climate Friendly Pty Ltd, a major carbon service provider in Australia known for aggregating large-scale rangeland projects.