Kenilworth Regrowth Project

The Kenilworth Regrowth Project is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at Kenilworth Station, approximately 20km southwest of the small town of Byrock and 70km southeast of Bourke in western New South Wales. Registered in August 2015, the project spans a significant 71,545 hectares within the Mulga Lands bioregion. This area is traditionally used for extensive rangeland grazing of sheep and cattle. The local environment is semi-arid, characterized by low rainfall and red earth, sandy loam, or clay soils that support vegetation types such as Mulga, Bimble Box, and native grasses.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve regenerating permanent native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by agricultural activities. For the Kenilworth project, the primary activities involve managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and humanely controlling feral animals. By reducing these suppressors, the project aims to allow native timber species to regenerate from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers.

A notable aspect of this project is its corporate history and compliance record. In December 2017, the Clean Energy Regulator issued a notice requiring the original proponent, Beautiful Gold International Pty Ltd, to relinquish 10,373 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), a regulatory mechanism often used to correct over-crediting or non-compliance. In January 2020, the project proponent was transferred to Select Carbon Pty Ltd. Later that same year, Select Carbon was acquired by Shell Australia, marking Shell’s first global acquisition for its Nature-Based Solutions business. Consequently, this project is now part of the energy giant's portfolio used to offset emissions. The project also held a Carbon Abatement Contract with the Australian Government, which is now listed as completed.