Avondale Human Induced Regeneration Project

Avondale Human Induced Regeneration Project is a large-scale regeneration initiative located approximately 188km west of Bourke and 88km northwest of Louth in the Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in September 2021, the project encompasses a significant area of 35,442 hectares. The property, known as "Avondale," has historically been utilized as a pastoral station for sheep and goat operations. The region is characterized by remote rangelands, where grazing is the primary land use, often co-existing with conservation efforts on vast pastoral leases.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects focus on restoring native forests on land where vegetation has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by livestock or feral animals. By managing the timing and extent of grazing and controlling feral pests, the project aims to allow native vegetation to regenerate from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers. The objective is to achieve a permanent native forest cover, defined as vegetation capable of reaching at least two meters in height and 20% canopy cover.

The environmental setting of the Avondale project is semi-arid, typical of the Mulga Lands bioregion. The landscape features open Mulga grasslands, shrublands, and areas of soft rolling red sandhills interspersed with clay flats and lake systems (such as the Utah Lake system). The soils are predominantly red earths and sandy loams, which support native timber species including Box, Beefwood, Gidgee, and Whitewood. Rainfall in this region is low and variable, generally averaging between 250mm and 350mm annually, making vegetation highly responsive to management changes during wet periods.

Terra Carbon Pty Limited, the project proponent, is a subsidiary of the GreenCollar Group, one of Australia's largest environmental markets developers. Notably, the property was offered for sale in 2023, highlighting a growing trend where pastoral stations are marketed with established carbon projects as a diversified income stream. The project is designed to integrate with the existing livestock operations, using carbon revenue to support sustainable grazing practices and infrastructure improvements.