Darling River Eco Corridor 7

Darling River Eco Corridor 7 is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located approximately 60km south-west of Cobar in central-western New South Wales. It was registered on April 14, 2016, and covers a substantial area of 31,239.35 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests by altering land management practices to allow for the natural recovery of native vegetation. This specific methodology requires the cessation of destructive activities that have actively suppressed regrowth for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. Standard requirements for these projects involve managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, as well as the humane management of feral animals, allowing native trees to eventually achieve a canopy cover of at least 20% and reach a height of two metres or more.

The broader Cobar region is situated on the Cobar Peneplain, an area predominantly known for large-scale sheep and cattle grazing, feral goat harvesting, and metalliferous mining. The environment is classified as semi-arid, experiencing hot, dry summers and a low, highly variable median annual rainfall of around 390 to 400 millimetres. Soils in this region are typically iron-rich red earths, ranging from red loams to sandy loams, which can be shallow and gravelly on the rises and are highly susceptible to hard-capping when degraded.

This project aims to establish permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including resilient rootstock and lignotubers left in the soil after historical land clearing. To achieve this, the project activities focus on closely managing livestock grazing and controlling feral animal populations. The project's proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, is a major environmental market developer closely associated with GreenCollar, which previously saw significant investment from global firm KKR & Co. The project successfully secured a Fixed Delivery Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC170795) to supply 244,697 tonnes of carbon abatement to the Australian Government over an approximately 16-year delivery period.