Darling River Conservation Initiative - Site #6

Darling River Conservation Initiative - Site #6 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the remote rangelands of Western New South Wales, approximately 55km south of Wanaaring and 150km west of Bourke. Registered in April 2019, the project spans an impressive 51,225.06 hectares across the semi-arid Mulga Lands bioregion.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests by facilitating the natural regeneration of in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. To qualify under the methodology, the designated land must have been historically cleared of vegetation and managed in a way that suppressed regrowth for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement.

The climate in this region is considered semi-arid with low annual rainfall, historically averaging around 340mm near Bourke. The regional landscape is primarily used for extensive grazing, while the project area itself consists of flat red sandy soils and sand hills intersected by north-south running watercourses.

Project activities primarily revolve around the humane management of feral animals (such as feral goats) and controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing. By closely managing grazing pressure, the project allows for the natural regeneration of native woodlands and shrublands, which in this region are often dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura), Acacia cambagei, and Dodonaea viscosa. Alongside sequestering carbon, these management practices reverse historical land degradation and help stabilize the sandy soils, thereby reducing erosion.

An interesting note is that the proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, operates as an entity under GreenCollar, which is Australia's largest environmental markets investor and a major supplier of nature-based Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). Additionally, public emissions reports indicate that major energy companies, such as Woodside Energy, have directly purchased ACCUs generated from this specific project site to offset their Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions.