Cooneybar Station Forest Regeneration Project

The Cooneybar Station Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 90km northeast of Cobar and 110km northwest of Nyngan in New South Wales. Registered in November 2016, the project covers a substantial area of roughly 18,608 hectares. The property itself, Cooneybar Station, is situated near the locality of Coolabah, approximately 32km off the Mitchell Highway.

This project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves changing land management practices to allow the regeneration of native forests. Specifically, the project activities focus on managing the timing and extent of grazing to reduce suppression of regrowth. By controlling livestock pressure and ceasing mechanical clearing, the project aims to facilitate the natural germination and growth of in-situ seed sources, rootstocks, and lignotubers into a permanent even-aged native forest.

The region is part of the Cobar Peneplain and is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 325mm to 390mm. The landscape is defined by flat red loam and chocolate soils, supporting vegetation such as mulga, rosewood, wild orange, and box flats. Historically, the area has been used for grazing sheep, cattle, and goats, as well as opportunistic cultivation.

An interesting aspect of this project is its commercial history; Cooneybar Station was sold in 2021, which often involves the transfer of carbon project responsibilities to new landholders. Additionally, while the project was originally contracted under the Australian Government's carbon abatement scheme (contract CAC342701), this contract was noted as terminated or lapsed in early 2018, meaning the credits generated may now be sold on the spot market or to private buyers rather than strictly to the government.