Mt Solitary Native Forest Protection Project

Mt Solitary Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located near Mount Hope, approximately 160km south of Cobar in the Cobar local government area of western NSW. It was registered in November 2018 and currently covers 7,723.23 ha. In February 2019, a variation was made to the project's parameters, resulting in some originally listed areas being removed from the total project area.

Avoided deforestation projects involve protecting native forests from being permanently deforested and converted into an agricultural system. A standard requirement under the Avoided Deforestation 1.1 Methodology Determination 2015 is that the landholder must have been issued a valid clearing permit prior to 1 July 2010. By surrendering this right to clear, carbon credits are generated. Carbon stock for this project is specifically calculated by applying allometric equations to tree measurements collected through regular biomass surveys within the area.

The broader Cobar and Mount Hope region is well known for livestock grazing (cattle and sheep) and significant natural resource extraction. The region features a semi-arid climate with typically low rainfall, and the local soils generally consist of red earths, clay, and sandy loams common to the Cobar Peneplain environment.

The proponent for this project is Terra Carbon Pty Limited, which operates as a subsidiary of the major Australian environmental market developer GreenCollar. Interestingly, while the carbon project avoids agricultural clearing, the local region around Mt Solitary is situated along a highly prospective mineral corridor. The area is actively being explored by Mount Hope Mining, who have been conducting extensive reverse circulation (RC) drilling and metallurgical testwork to unearth high-grade gold deposits beneath the surface.