CO2 Australia - Human-Induced Regeneration Project - Stage 7 (Revoked)

CO2 Australia - Human-Induced Regeneration Project - Stage 7 (Revoked) is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located approximately 50km northwest of Parkes in the Central West region of New South Wales. It was registered in November 2017 and covers an unusually small area of just 1.29 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. The standard methodology requires changing land management practices on land that was cleared of vegetation and where regrowth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, allowing the native vegetation to regrow and reach forest cover (at least 20% crown cover and 2 metres in height). For this specific project, the primary activity used to achieve regeneration was the exclusion of livestock.

The Central West region of New South Wales around Parkes and Condobolin is traditionally known for mixed agricultural land uses, predominantly sheep grazing, cattle farming, and winter cropping such as wheat, barley, and canola. The area typically falls under a semi-arid to moderate rainfall classification, receiving roughly 400-500mm of rain annually. The soils in this region generally consist of red-brown earths, clays, and alluvial soils along the river systems.

Interestingly, this project was revoked on August 4, 2022, under section 30 of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule. Despite the project being revoked in 2022, an administrative variation of the proponent's name from CO2 AUSTRALIA LIMITED to CO2 AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd was officially recorded more than two years later, in December 2024. Furthermore, the incredibly small project area of just 1.29 hectares is highly unusual for a commercial carbon farming project, especially under the HIR methodology which typically spans across thousands of hectares.