Winbar Human Induced Regeneration Project

Winbar Human Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration project located at Winbar Station, approximately 130km southwest of Bourke and 32km from Louth in New South Wales. It was registered in May 2023 and covers 10,988.69 ha.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest projects involve establishing permanent native forests on land where vegetation has been cleared and natural regeneration actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. Rather than manually planting trees, this methodology relies on assisted natural regeneration from in-situ seed sources, existing rootstock, and lignotubers to achieve permanent forest cover.

The surrounding Bourke Shire and Darling River region are well known for expansive pastoral stations traditionally utilized for large-scale sheep and cattle grazing. The area is classified as having a semi-arid climate with low annual rainfall. Soils in the region generally consist of soft red sandy loam and calcareous red earths, which transition into grey alluvial clays closer to the river floodplains.

The project proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, is implementing specific management activities to achieve carbon abatement, including controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing and the humane management of feral animals. Winbar Station itself is historically significant as one of the original 99-year lease pastoral runs along the Darling River, established in the mid-1800s. By reducing grazing pressure on these historically heavily utilized lands, suppressed native vegetation such as mulga, saltbush, and coolabah are given the opportunity to recover and sequester carbon.