Corrie Downs Regeneration Project

The Corrie Downs Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 65km northwest of Walgett in the North West Plains of New South Wales. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 11,913 hectares within the Walgett Local Government Area. The property is situated in a remote pastoral region, roughly equidistant between the towns of Walgett and Brewarrina, an area traditionally defined by extensive grazing properties.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects differ from tree planting initiatives by focusing on the restoration of native forests through the management of suppression mechanisms. For this project, the methodology involves assisting the regeneration of native vegetation from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, that were previously suppressed by agricultural activities. Key activities include the humane management of feral animals (typically goats and pigs) and the strategic control of livestock grazing pressure to allow young trees to establish and reach forest cover status.

The environment of the Walgett and Brewarrina region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with hot summers and variable rainfall, often averaging between 400mm and 500mm annually. The landscape features a mix of grey cracking clay soils (Vertosols) on the floodplains of the Barwon and Namoi river systems, and red earths or sandy loams on the ridges. This soil profile supports resilient native vegetation communities, including Poplar Box (Bimble Box), Coolibah, and Mulga woodlands, which this project aims to regenerate.

An interesting note on the Corrie Downs project is its early entry into the Carbon Farming Initiative, having been registered in 2015. This places it among the established wave of large-scale rangeland regeneration projects in NSW. The project is managed by the proponent John Frederick Wheaton in partnership with Climate Friendly Pty Ltd, a prominent service provider in the Australian carbon market.