Darling River Eco Corridor 16

Darling River Eco Corridor 16 is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located at Lowan Station, approximately 25km south of Nymagee and 100km south of Cobar in the central west region of New South Wales. It was registered in July 2015 and covers an area of 9,160.03 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve changing land management practices to allow native forests to naturally regenerate from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that proponents must cease mechanical or chemical suppression of regrowth and actively manage the timing and extent of grazing by livestock and feral animals to allow the vegetation to reach native forest cover.

The Cobar Peneplain area is historically known for extensive sheep, cattle, and goat grazing, alongside regional copper and gold mining operations. The environment is considered semi-arid with low and historically unreliable rainfall. Soils in this region generally consist of hard red earths, loams, and loamy-clays.

This project establishes permanent even-aged native forests on land that had been previously cleared of vegetation, with regrowth having been suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. Originally known as the "Lowan Station Human-Induced Regeneration Project," its name was varied in May 2015. Under the management of its operators and in partnership with GreenCollar, the project was set up to help transform a historically overgrazed landscape into a thriving, sustainable agricultural enterprise that supports biodiverse mixed native forests.