Dalkeith Regeneration Project

The Dalkeith Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Far West region of New South Wales, approximately 130km northwest of Bourke. Registered in December 2022, the project covers a substantial area of 10,578 hectares. The property sits within the Bourke Shire Council area, geographically positioned near the Cuttaburra basin and south of the Queensland border.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects in this region focus on regenerating native forests by removing the activities that previously suppressed them. For Dalkeith, the primary project activity involves the management of the timing and extent of grazing. By controlling livestock and feral animal pressure, the project allows native vegetation, typically Acacia species like Mulga, to regenerate from in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers found in the soil. This regeneration restores forest cover to land where regrowth had been suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement.

The surrounding region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with highly variable rainfall, averaging roughly 280mm annually. The landscape consists of rangelands traditionally used for grazing sheep, cattle, and goats. The soil profile in this area typically features red earths (Kandosols) on ridges and heavier cracking clays (Vertosols) in the floodplains and channels associated with the Paroo and Cuttaburra systems. The proponent, Julie Anne Cullenward, has successfully secured a Carbon Abatement Contract with the Australian Government to deliver carbon credits from this project over a 10-year delivery period.