Longdowns Regeneration Project

Longdowns Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the rangelands of Western New South Wales, situated approximately 50 to 80 kilometers southeast of Bourke. Registered in July 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 30,025 hectares across the Bourke and Brewarrina local government areas. The region is predominantly defined by extensive grazing land use, where properties typically operate as working sheep, cattle, and goat stations within the Western Division of NSW.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology (specifically the 2013 determination). This carbon farming method focuses on establishing permanent native forests by addressing the suppressors that previously prevented regrowth. For Longdowns, this involves the cessation of mechanical clearing and the active management of grazing pressure from both livestock and feral animals. By controlling these factors, the project allows in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers to regenerate into even-aged native forest cover.

Environmentally, the project area lies within a semi-arid climatic zone, characterized by low and variable rainfall averaging around 300mm to 350mm annually. The landscape typically features red earth soils, sandy loams, and clay pans common to the Cobar Peneplain and Mulga Lands bioregions. The native vegetation regenerating in this area likely consists of drought-resilient species such as Mulga (Acacia aneura) and Bimble Box (Eucalyptus populnea) woodlands, which are well-adapted to the harsh conditions but require relief from grazing pressure to recover.

A notable administrative development for this project occurred in December 2022, when it was divided under Section 77A of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011. This provision allows a proponent to split an existing project into two or more separate parts, each becoming an independent project with its own reporting obligations. This is often done to facilitate the sale of a portion of the land or to restructure commercial arrangements. The project has also seen changes in its participant structure, originally involving Paniri Ventures Pty Ltd alongside Corporate Carbon Solutions before reverting to the latter as the sole proponent.