Darling Downs Regeneration Project

The Darling Downs Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the rural locality of Tindarey, approximately 45km north of Cobar in Western New South Wales. Registered on March 22, 2023, the project covers a substantial area of 11,595 hectares. Despite sharing its name with the famous agricultural region in Queensland, this project operates in the semi-arid rangelands of the Cobar Peneplain, an area historically significant for both extensive sheep grazing and gold mining (specifically the nearby ghost town of Mount Drysdale).

Human-Induced Regeneration projects focus on establishing permanent native forests on land where vegetation growth has been suppressed for at least 10 years, typically due to agricultural activities. The methodology requires proponents to cease mechanical clearing and implement management changes, such as controlling the timing and extent of livestock grazing and managing feral animals, to allow native seedlings and rootstock to regenerate naturally. The target is to achieve a forest cover with trees reaching at least two meters in height and 20% canopy density.

The Cobar region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with variable rainfall, averaging around 300-400mm annually. The landscape typically features red earth and lithosol soils, supporting vegetation communities dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura), Bimble Box (Eucalyptus populnea), and White Cypress Pine. This project specifically aims to restore these native forest systems by managing grazing pressure from livestock and feral animals, utilizing in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers to drive regeneration.