Curraweena Regeneration Project

The Curraweena Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Curraweena Station, approximately 90km north of Cobar and 70km south of Bourke in western New South Wales. Registered in April 2016, the project covers 19,110 hectares of the Western Lands Lease property, situated adjacent to the Kidman Way. The region is historically dominated by pastoral grazing (sheep, cattle, and rangeland goats) and is part of the semi-arid Mulga Lands bioregion.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects generate carbon credits by regenerating permanent native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by overgrazing or mechanical clearing. To be eligible, the land must have the potential to attain forest cover (20% canopy density at 2 meters height). This specific project focuses on the humane management of feral animals as its primary activity. By controlling grazing pressure from unmanaged species, likely feral goats, which are prevalent in the Cobar/Bourke district, the project allows native vegetation such as Mulga, Rosewood, and Turpentine to regenerate from in-situ seed sources and rootstock.

The environment in this area is characterized by a hot semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 300-350mm. The landscape features flat to slightly undulating country with red sandy loam and red earth soils, typical of the Cobar Peneplain. Curraweena Station itself is notable for its historical infrastructure, including an 1890s-era stone woolshed and a substantial underground rainwater tank constructed in the 19th century. The project is managed by Select Carbon Pty Ltd (now a subsidiary of Shell) on behalf of the proponent, Lord & Lady Donnelly Pty Ltd.