Winbar Human Induced Regeneration Project

Winbar Human Induced Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the historic Winbar Station, approximately 30km south-west of Louth and 130km south-west of Bourke in far-western New South Wales. Registered in May 2023, the project covers an area of 10,988.69 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. To meet standard methodology requirements, the project area must have been cleared of native vegetation and its regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. The proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, facilitates this regeneration by mitigating suppression activities, specifically by managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and humanely managing feral animals.

The Louth and Bourke region is characterised by a semi-arid climate with low average annual rainfall (typically around 300-400mm) that primarily falls in the summer months. Soils in this area transition from grey cracking clays along the Darling River floodplains to red earths and sandy loams further out. Land use in this remote outback region is predominantly pastoral, with large-scale operations focused on beef cattle and sheep grazing.

An interesting note about this project is its location on Winbar Station, a well-known pastoral property deeply tied to the pioneering history of the Darling River. Established in the mid-1800s, the station once carried tens of thousands of sheep and was owned by pastoral pioneer John Hope in the 1880s. Today, parts of this historic agricultural landscape are being utilised to blend traditional grazing management with modern carbon sequestration and environmental restoration efforts.