Idalia Regeneration Project

Idalia Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the Bourke Shire region, approximately 140km southwest of Bourke in western New South Wales. It was registered on March 21, 2023, and covers a vast area of 86,786.74 hectares. The surrounding region is predominantly used for extensive pastoral operations, primarily focused on cattle and sheep grazing.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects aim to establish permanent, even-aged native forests by removing suppressive land management practices. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that proponents must alter land management, such as ceasing native vegetation clearing or managing livestock and feral animals, to allow native trees to reach a true forest cover (at least 20% crown cover and 2 meters in height). For the Idalia project, the primary activity is managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing. This strategy allows native forests to recover through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers, on land where vegetation regrowth had been actively suppressed for at least 10 years before the project began.

The environment of western New South Wales is classified as semi-arid, characterized by low and highly variable rainfall. The soils in this pastoral district typically consist of red earths, sandy loams, and occasional clay plains associated with the broader Darling River basin. These conditions are specifically suited to the area's native drought-tolerant scrub and woodland species.

Interestingly, the project is supported by the major carbon developer Climate Friendly Pty Ltd, acting as the project agent. The proponent, Timothy Ignatius Murray, secured an Optional Delivery Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC822415) at the Clean Energy Regulator's March 2023 auction. Under this contract, the project is committed to delivering 204,216 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) over a 10-year delivery period. The project operates using FullCAM 2020 modeling, and its crediting period runs until March 2048, safeguarded by a 25-year permanence period.