Longdowns Regeneration Project

Longdowns Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located near the towns of Bourke and Brewarrina in north-west New South Wales. It was registered in July 2015 and originally covers a project area of 30,025.68 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers. Standard requirements for this methodology mandate that the project land was previously cleared of vegetation and that native regrowth was actively suppressed for at least 10 years before the project commenced. The Longdowns project achieves this environmental regeneration by ceasing mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth, managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, and humanely managing feral animals.

The region encompassing Bourke and Brewarrina is situated largely within the Darling Riverine Plains bioregion and is characterised by a semi-arid climate with low and highly variable rainfall. The environment features a mix of grey and brown cracking clay soils across the wide floodplains, with sandy or texture-contrast red earth soils found along older stream beds and ridges. General land use in this remote region is heavily dominated by dryland sheep and cattle grazing, alongside some irrigated cropping such as cotton along the major river systems.

Interestingly, the Longdowns Regeneration Project has a strong presence in the voluntary carbon market. Its generated Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) are frequently retired by major corporate entities to achieve Climate Active carbon neutral certification. Furthermore, the project is a supported participant in the NSW Government's Vehicle Emissions Offset Scheme, which aims to offset daily commute emissions while restoring native vegetation damaged by historical grazing practices. The project has undergone several administrative changes since its inception, including variations to the project area and the proponent. It was officially divided under section 77A of the CFI Act in December 2022, and corporate sustainability reporting indicates that a portion of the project is now commonly referred to as the Tuncoona Forest Regeneration Project under the same ERF101812 identifier.