Paroowidgee Regeneration Project

The Paroowidgee Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Paroowidgee pastoral station, approximately 45km west of Wanaaring and northeast of White Cliffs in the Unincorporated Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in September 2015, the project covers 15,325 hectares of rangeland. The area is primarily used for extensive grazing operations, typical of the remote "Corner Country" of NSW.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects focus on restoring native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by livestock or feral animals. To achieve this, the proponents, Debra and Neill Leigo, implement management changes such as controlling the timing and extent of grazing and managing feral animals (such as goats) in a humane manner. The objective is to allow native species to regenerate and achieve "forest cover" status, defined as trees reaching at least 2 meters in height and 20% canopy density.

The environmental setting for the project is characteristic of the Mulga Lands bioregion. The area is semi-arid to arid, experiencing low and variable rainfall (averaging roughly 250-300mm annually). The terrain typically features red earth and sandy loam soils, often supporting Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and native shrubs. These hardy soil and vegetation types are well-adapted to the harsh, dry conditions but require careful management to recover from historical overgrazing.

Since its inception, the project has undergone administrative updates, including a variation in November 2018 to remove certain areas from the project map, and a methodology update in September 2023 to the latest compilation (No. 3). The project is supported by the carbon service provider Climate Friendly Pty Ltd.