Westmere Regeneration Project

The Westmere Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Westmere Station, approximately 20 kilometers northwest of the township of Louth in the Western Division of New South Wales. Registered in September 2015, the project covers 29,125 hectares of the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area defined by its red earth soils and semi-arid climate, which typically sees an annual rainfall of around 270mm.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which credits landholders for allowing native vegetation to regrow into permanent forest. On Westmere Station, this is achieved by managing the timing and extent of grazing pressure from livestock (sheep and cattle) and actively controlling feral animals like goats that suppress vegetation growth. The property has a history of grazing, having previously been cited in industry case studies regarding the management of Mulga (Acacia aneura) for drought feeding, a common practice in this rangeland environment. The proponents, Bruce, Helen, and Quentin Parker, manage the regeneration of these native woodlands alongside traditional pastoral activities.