Kingbolt Regeneration Project

The Kingbolt Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located at "Kingbolt" station, approximately 175km northwest of Bourke in New South Wales. The property sits within the semi-arid rangelands near the Queensland border, a region historically dominated by large-scale grazing operations. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a significant area of 16,151 hectares.

HIR projects in this region focus on regenerating permanent native forests by addressing the suppressors that previously prevented regrowth. In the case of Kingbolt, the project relies on assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers, rather than planting new trees. The primary activities involve managing the timing and extent of grazing pressure, likely through fencing and rotational grazing, and the cessation of mechanical clearing to allow native vegetation, such as Mulga, to recover and reach forest cover density.

The local environment is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 300mm. The terrain typically consists of red loams and sandy soils common to the Mulga Lands bioregion, supporting vegetation like Beefwood, Rosewood, and native grasses (e.g., Copper Burr and Spear grass). The property has been marketed as a multi-enterprise operation combining carbon farming with sheep, cattle, and goat grazing, demonstrating the integration of carbon credits with traditional agriculture.

An interesting aspect of this project is its proponent history, which reflects broader market trends. The project proponent shifted from the original trust structure to Select Carbon Pty Ltd (a major aggregator acquired by Shell) in 2019, and then transferred back to the original entity, Rechecked Pty Ltd, in early 2024. The project holds a Carbon Abatement Contract with the Commonwealth, originally committing to deliver over 72,000 tonnes of abatement.