CO2 Australia - Human-Induced Regeneration Project - Stage 6 (Revoked)

CO2 Australia - Human-Induced Regeneration Project - Stage 6 (Revoked) is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 15km north of Trundle and roughly 65km northwest of Parkes in the Central West region of New South Wales. Registered in November 2017, the project covered an extremely small area of just 1.04 hectares before it was officially revoked in June 2022.

The HIR methodology focuses on regenerating permanent, even-aged native forests by removing activities that suppress natural tree growth. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that the project land must have been cleared of native vegetation, with regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. The overarching goal is to achieve a forest stocking density capable of eventually providing at least 20% canopy cover, with trees reaching 2 metres or taller. For this specific project, the primary activity was the exclusion of livestock to allow in-situ seed sources (including rootstock and lignotubers) to recover naturally without being overgrazed.

Situated in the Central West region of NSW, the surrounding area is heavily defined by mixed agricultural land use, featuring broadacre dryland cropping (such as wheat, barley, and canola) alongside sheep and cattle grazing. Environmentally, this region experiences a semi-arid to temperate climate with moderate to low annual rainfall, generally ranging around 400–500mm. The typical soils found in this landscape consist of red-brown earths, clay loams, and sandy loams.

An interesting aspect of this project is its incredibly small footprint. At just 1.04 hectares, it is highly unusual for an HIR carbon project, which typically spans hundreds or thousands of hectares to achieve economic viability. This project was operated as "Stage 6" of a broader portfolio by CO2 Australia Pty Ltd, a company that has historically run numerous carbon projects on marginal farming lands across central western NSW. In June 2022, the project was voluntarily revoked under section 30 of the CFI Rule. Additionally, registry details show a proponent variation processed in December 2024, updating the entity name from CO2 AUSTRALIA LIMITED to CO2 AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd.