Kennabate Human Induced Regeneration Project

The Kennabate Human Induced Regeneration Project is a large-scale carbon farming initiative located approximately 120km west-southwest of the major mining and pastoral town of Cobar, New South Wales. Registered on May 1, 2023, by proponent Terra Carbon Pty Limited, the project encompasses a massive area of 79,771 hectares within the Cobar Shire Council region.

This project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology. HIR projects generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by suppressing activities that previously prevented native forest from growing. In this context, the project area has historically been used for grazing, which suppresses vegetation. By managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing and controlling feral animals (such as goats and pigs), the project aims to allow native seeds and rootstock already in the ground to regenerate into a permanent forest cover.

The surrounding region is part of the Western Division of New South Wales, an area characterized by a semi-arid climate with variable rainfall averaging between 300mm and 400mm annually. The landscape typically features red earth and sandy loam soils known as the Cobar Peneplain, which supports rangeland grazing of sheep, cattle, and goats. The vegetation in this area usually consists of Mulga (Acacia aneura), Bimble Box, and invasive woody weeds which the project management activities will likely seek to balance to promote native forest structure.

An interesting aspect of the Kennabate project is its sheer scale; at nearly 80,000 hectares, it represents a significant portion of land dedicated to regeneration. The project explicitly targets land where vegetation was cleared and regrowth suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement, utilizing assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources like lignotubers rather than active planting.