Avondale Human Induced Regeneration Project

Avondale Human Induced Regeneration Project is a human-induced regeneration project located west of Bourke in the Mulga Lands bioregion of New South Wales. Based on the coordinates provided, the project is situated approximately 125km west of the Bourke township. It was registered in September 2021 and covers a project area of 35,442.51 hectares.

Human-induced regeneration (HIR) projects involve establishing permanent, even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. To meet the standard methodology requirements, this regeneration must occur on land that was previously cleared of vegetation and where natural regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project commencing. To facilitate regrowth, project activities on this site include managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing alongside the humane management of feral animals.

The region west of Bourke is characterised by a semi-arid climate with typically low and variable rainfall. The local environment consists of flat and undulating terrain interspersed with scattered salt lakes. Soils in this bioregion are generally sandy loams and red earths, which can be highly prone to erosion when degraded by overgrazing. The dominant regional land use is extensive pastoralism, specifically sheep and cattle grazing. Common native vegetation found in the area includes Mulga (Acacia aneura), Dodonaea viscosa, and various Eremophila shrub species.

The Avondale property has operated as a commercial merino sheep enterprise for over twenty years. The landholders initiated the carbon project to help reverse land degradation caused by feral goats and livestock, using the supplemental carbon income to fund major property infrastructure upgrades. This investment has included implementing rotational grazing practices, building new trap yards to better manage stock and feral animals, and constructing a seven-kilometre pipeline to ensure a reliable water supply across four paddocks. In addition to stabilising soils and sequestering carbon, the regeneration efforts support significant local biodiversity. It protects native flora like large gidgee, supplejack, and leopardwood trees, while attracting diverse birdlife including brolgas, black swans, budgies, and mulga parrots during wet seasons.