Darling River Eco Corridor #29

Darling River Eco Corridor #29 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 75km northwest of Bourke in the Orana region of New South Wales. Registered in November 2017, the project covers a substantial area of 23,761 hectares within the Mulga Lands bioregion. This region is traditionally utilized for extensive grazing of sheep, cattle, and goats.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves regenerating native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by grazing or mechanical clearing. Unlike tree planting projects, HIR relies on the germination of in-situ seed sources and rootstock. To achieve this, the project activities include managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and humanely controlling feral animals (particularly feral goats, which are prevalent in the area) to allow native vegetation to recover and reach forest maturity.

Environmentally, the site is situated in a semi-arid climate zone characterized by hot summers and low, variable rainfall (averaging around 300-350mm annually). The terrain typically consists of flat to undulating country with red sandy loam and clay soils. The vegetation regenerating in this corridor generally includes species such as Mulga (Acacia aneura), Turpentine (Eremophila sturtii), and Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa).

This project is part of a broader initiative by the proponent, Terra Carbon (a subsidiary of GreenCollar), known as the "Darling River Eco Corridor." This suite of projects covers over 150,000 hectares across northwestern NSW and southwest Queensland, aiming to create a contiguous zone of regenerated habitat. By diversifying land use through carbon farming, the project allows landholders to improve drought resilience and invest in better infrastructure, such as trap yards for feral animal management.