Koonaburra Regeneration Project

Koonaburra Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located approximately 100km northeast of Ivanhoe and 140km southwest of Cobar in western New South Wales. It was registered in October 2021 and covers an extensive area of 46,028 hectares. The surrounding Ivanhoe and Cobar regions are traditionally known for grazing, particularly sheep, goat, and cattle pastoral operations, but this specific property is actively transitioning to conservation and carbon farming.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests by changing land management practices to encourage assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. A key standard requirement for this methodology is that the land must have been previously cleared of vegetation and had regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. To achieve this native regeneration, the project activities focus on the humane management of feral animals, effectively removing the grazing pressures that suppress native vegetation and allowing the landscape to eventually reach forest cover.

The environment in this semi-arid outback region experiences low rainfall typical of western NSW. The landscape is predominantly characterized by extensive sandplains and dune field country, featuring sandy soils interspersed with unique water depressions known as gilgais or "melon holes".

The project area is situated on the former Koonaburra Station, a historic pastoral property that was purchased by the NSW Government for $9.185 million to expand the state's national park estate. The land is now officially gazetted as Koonaburra National Park and protects critical habitat for around 20 threatened animal species, including the Major Mitchell cockatoo, malleefowl, and fat-tailed dunnart. The carbon project is forecast to generate approximately 574,131 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) over its 25-year lifespan. Additionally, project documentation notes a variation occurred in December 2025, transferring the primary proponent role from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.