Coronga Peak Regeneration Project

The Coronga Peak Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the Coronga Peak station, situated approximately 15km southwest of the small hamlet of Byrock in New South Wales. The property lies roughly 80km south of the major regional centre of Bourke and 90km north of Cobar. Registered in August 2015, this substantial project covers 28,748 hectares of the semi-arid Orana region. The surrounding landscape is characterized by vast rangelands primarily utilized for grazing sheep, cattle, and goats, which historically suppressed native vegetation regrowth.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects in this context involve implementing land management changes to facilitate the recovery of native forests. For Coronga Peak, this entails ceasing or strictly managing the mechanical clearing of vegetation and controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing. Additionally, the project actively manages feral animals, such as goats, which are a significant suppressor of regrowth in the Mulga Lands bioregion. By removing these pressures, the project allows native seed banks (in-situ rootstock and lignotubers) to regenerate into permanent even-aged native forests.

The environment at Coronga Peak is typical of the Cobar Peneplain, featuring a semi-arid climate with variable annual rainfall averaging between 300mm and 400mm. The terrain consists largely of massive red earth soils and skeletal lithosols which support drought-resistant vegetation communities, including Mulga (Acacia aneura), Bimble Box (Eucalyptus populnea), and White Cypress Pine. These hardy species are well-adapted to the region's harsh, dry conditions and form the basis of the regenerating forest carbon sink.

A notable aspect of this project is its ownership history. The original participant, Warwick Bramhall, was a long-term pastoralist in the region who was the victim of a high-profile aggravated robbery at the Coronga Peak homestead in 2020. In July 2025, the project participant officially changed to J I HAMPTON.COM PTY LTD, marking a shift to corporate holding. The project is supported by Select Carbon Pty Ltd (now a subsidiary of Shell Australia), a major carbon service provider that assists with the complex compliance and reporting requirements of the ACCU scheme.