Darling River Eco Corridor #34

Darling River Eco Corridor #34 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Mulga Lands bioregion, approximately 70 to 80 km northeast of Bourke in north-western New South Wales. It was registered on May 14, 2018, and originally covered an area of 23,260.39 hectares, though a project area variation in August 2018 removed certain listed areas from the project boundary.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests by changing land management practices to allow assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. This methodology requires the cessation of activities that suppress native vegetation growth. For this project, the land must have been cleared of vegetation and had regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. Regeneration is achieved by managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing alongside the humane control of feral animals.

The Bourke Shire is characterised by a semi-arid climate with low annual rainfall (averaging around 350mm) and frequent, severe droughts. The region's terrain consists of flats, floodplains, slightly undulating plains, and sandy ridges. Soils in the area are typically Chromosols and Vertosols (cracking clays) on the floodplains. The dominant regional land use is pastoral grazing, primarily sheep and cattle, along with some irrigated agriculture along the river corridors.

The project operates across three properties managed by landholder Tony Pattrick in partnership with project developer GreenCollar (operating through Terra Carbon Pty Limited). The revenue generated from carbon sequestration provided essential financial support to the agricultural business during a major regional drought. This additional income allowed the landholders to rapidly and heavily invest in farm infrastructure, including extensive exclusion fencing, to manage feral goat and pig populations while better controlling their own livestock.