Darling River Conservation Initiative Site #12

Darling River Conservation Initiative Site #12 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project located in the remote Unincorporated Far West region of New South Wales. It is situated approximately 50km southwest of the small outback settlement of Wanaaring and roughly 180km northwest of Wilcannia. Registered on November 4, 2020, the project covers a substantial area of 24,936.70 hectares.

The region is characterized by vast rangelands historically used for extensive grazing of sheep, cattle, and goats. The environment is semi-arid to arid, featuring low and erratic rainfall that often occurs in summer storms. The landscape typically consists of red sandy loams and red earth soils, which naturally support Acacia woodlands (such as Mulga) and native shrublands. However, historic grazing pressure and feral animal infestation have suppressed vegetation growth in these areas for decades.

This project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves changing land management practices to facilitate the regrowth of native forests. Key activities include managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and actively controlling feral animals, particularly goats, which are a major suppressor of vegetation in the NSW rangelands. By installing new fencing and water infrastructure, the project allows native rootstock and lignotubers in the soil to regenerate into a permanent even-aged native forest.

An interesting note is that the proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, is a subsidiary entity of the GreenCollar Group, Australia’s largest environmental markets developer. This project is part of the broader "Darling River Conservation Initiative," a portfolio of aggregated properties across the Western Division of NSW designed to create a landscape-scale conservation corridor while diversifying landholder income.