Goolgumbla Forest Regeneration Project

The Goolgumbla Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the remote rangelands of Far West New South Wales. Situated approximately 140km southwest of Bourke and northwest of the locality of Tilpa, the project covers a substantial area of 35,565 hectares within the Bourke Shire Council region. Registered in September 2021, the project area sits within the Mulga Lands and Cobar Peneplain bioregions, an area traditionally utilized for extensive grazing operations.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects focus on restoring native forest cover on land where it has been suppressed for at least ten years, typically by livestock or feral animals. To achieve this, the project proponent must implement management activities such as controlling grazing timing and pressure, managing feral animals, and ceasing mechanical clearing. The goal is to allow native species, often Acacia (Mulga) or Eucalypt woodlands in this region, to regenerate naturally from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, or lignotubers without the need for direct planting.

The environment in this part of western NSW is classified as semi-arid to arid, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 300–350mm. The terrain typically features red earth plains, clay pans, and sandy loams, often supporting vegetation communities adapted to drought conditions. The soils are generally low in nutrients and fragile, making careful grazing management essential for both carbon sequestration and long-term land health.

An interesting aspect of this project is its proponent, Karbill Pty Ltd, which is the entity behind the renowned Goolgumbla Merino Stud based near Jerilderie in the Riverina. While the famous stud property is located hundreds of kilometers to the southeast in a higher rainfall zone, this carbon project represents an expansion of the Rollinson family's agricultural interests into the western rangelands. The project likely aims to integrate carbon farming with sustainable wool and meat production, leveraging the vast landscape of the western property to diversify their agribusiness operations.