Darling River Eco Corridor #31

Darling River Eco Corridor #31 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 115 kilometers northeast of White Cliffs in the remote Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in November 2017, the project covers a substantial area of 26,134 hectares within the Mulga Lands bioregion. This area is traditionally utilized for rangeland grazing, specifically for sheep, cattle, and goats, and sits within the Bourke Shire Council local government area.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which facilitates the regrowth of native forests on land where vegetation had previously been suppressed, typically by unrestricted grazing. Instead of planting trees, the project relies on assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. To achieve this, the proponents manage the timing and extent of livestock grazing and actively control feral animals (particularly goats) to allow native species to establish a permanent forest canopy.

Environmentally, the region is characterized as semi-arid with red sandy soils, clays, and lithosols that support hardy vegetation. The specific flora regenerating on this property includes Mulga (Acacia aneura), Acacia sibirica, Senna artemisioides, and Dodonaea viscosa. Rainfall in this area is low and variable, typically averaging between 200mm and 300mm annually, making water management a critical component of the landscape's resilience.

An interesting feature of this project is its inclusion in the "Darling River Eco Corridor," a large-scale aggregation of properties managed by GreenCollar (via their subsidiary Terra Carbon). The initiative aims to create a contiguous zone of ecological restoration along the Darling River catchment. Public reports indicate that the project is situated on a property known as "Gardenvale," where the landholders have integrated carbon farming with their grazing enterprise, reporting benefits such as reduced soil erosion and increased biodiversity, including the return of echidnas and various bird species.