CO2 Australia - Human-Induced Regeneration Project - Stage 3 (Revoked)

CO2 Australia - Human-Induced Regeneration Project - Stage 3 (Revoked) is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Central West region of New South Wales, approximately 45km northeast of Condobolin and 25km west of Trundle. Registered in March 2017, this unusually small project covered an area of just 2.18 hectares before it was ultimately revoked. The surrounding region is predominantly known for agricultural land uses, specifically broadacre dryland cropping, such as wheat, canola, and pulses, alongside sheep and cattle grazing.

The environmental conditions in this part of the Central West are generally classified as a low-rainfall or semi-arid environment, receiving an average of roughly 420-460mm of rainfall annually. The soils typical to the region consist predominantly of red earths, red-brown earths, red chromosols, and clay loams, which are often slightly acidic at the surface and generally low in inherent fertility and organic matter.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. To meet standard methodology requirements, the land must have been cleared of vegetation and had its regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. The primary project activity for this specific site was the exclusion of livestock to halt suppression activities, thereby allowing native vegetation to naturally recover and eventually achieve forest cover.

Interestingly, this project was issued a carbon abatement contract (CAC286949) in December 2017, but the contract was later terminated or lapsed on November 5, 2020. Shortly after, on March 19, 2021, the project was officially revoked under section 30 of the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) Rule. The project proponent, originally registered as CO2 Australia Limited, also recorded a variation to its participant name, becoming CO2 Australia Pty Ltd on December 11, 2024.