Gumbo Regeneration Project

The Gumbo Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Gumbo Station, approximately 65km northeast of the remote outback village of Wanaaring and 180km northwest of Bourke in New South Wales. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 10,550 hectares within the Unincorporated Far West Region. The property has historical significance in the district, appearing in government mail run tenders for the Wanaaring area as far back as the 1950s.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) methodology, specifically targeting the regeneration of permanent even-aged native forests. In this semi-arid rangeland environment, characterized by red earth soils, sandy loams, and low annual rainfall (averaging around 280mm), native vegetation such as Mulga (Acacia aneura) often struggles to regenerate due to continuous pressure from livestock and feral animals. By managing the timing and extent of grazing and controlling feral pests (likely goats), the project allows suppressed rootstock and lignotubers to recover and mature into forest cover.

The proponent, MG & SM Van de Ven Pty. Limited, works in conjunction with service provider Climate Friendly Pty Ltd. The project has been active in the carbon market, securing a contract with the Australian Government to sell over 65,000 tonnes of carbon abatement. This activity represents a shift from traditional intensive grazing to a model that balances pastoral operations with ecological restoration, sequestering carbon in the regenerating native biomass.