Idalia Regeneration Project

The Idalia Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on Idalia Station, a pastoral property situated approximately 43 kilometers southwest of the outback town of Louth, New South Wales. Registered in March 2023, the project covers a substantial area of roughly 86,786 hectares along the western side of the Darling River, positioning it between Louth and Tilpa. This region is deeply embedded in the semi-arid rangelands of Western NSW, an area traditionally dominated by extensive grazing of Merino sheep and rangeland goats.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which is designed to restore native forest cover on land where vegetation has been historically suppressed. In this specific context, the suppression is primarily caused by livestock grazing. By managing the timing and extent of grazing, essentially resting paddocks to allow seedlings to establish, the project aims to regenerate permanent even-aged native forests. This regeneration often includes species such as Red River Gums along the watercourses and various Acacia and Eucalypt species on the surrounding plains.

Environmentally, the region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with variable rainfall that is often driven by boom-and-bust flood cycles from the Darling River system. The landscape features a mix of heavy alluvial clay soils (grey cracking clays) on the floodplains and red earth soils on the adjacent ridges and sandplains. Interestingly, Idalia Station is not only a working grazing property but also operates Idalia Outback River Stay, a tourism venture offering bush camping and farm stays. The property made headlines during the major floods of late 2022, where the homestead became an island isolated by floodwaters for an extended period, highlighting the dramatic hydrological conditions of the project area.