Darling River Eco Corridor 27

Darling River Eco Corridor 27 is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located roughly 150km west of Bourke in the Mulga Lands bioregion of NSW. It was registered in February 2018 and covers 37,569.65 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent native forests by changing land management practices to allow native trees to regenerate from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. This method requires landholders to cease activities that suppress tree growth. For this project, the primary activities include managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing, as well as the humane management of feral animals.

The region west of Bourke is traditionally known for sheep and cattle grazing operations. The area is considered a semi-arid environment, and the soils are predominantly undulating red sandy loam.

This project is situated across two properties, Goonery and Tringadee, which had previously suffered from severe overgrazing and land degradation. The land had been cleared of vegetation and its regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years before the project commenced. By generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the landholders have funded major infrastructure upgrades, including ring-lock boundary fencing, new water points, and trap yards. This drastically reduced the feral goat population on the properties from around 1,200 to fewer than 60, allowing native shrubland and woodland species like Mulga, Gidgee, Leopardwood, and Rosewood to naturally regenerate. Interestingly, major corporate players like Woodside Energy have utilized this project, retiring ACCUs from Darling River Eco Corridor 27 to help offset their corporate Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions.