Thoura Human-Induced Regeneration Project

Thoura Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a regeneration project located on Thoura Station, approximately 50km southeast of the town of Hungerford and 160km northwest of Bourke in outback New South Wales. Registered in September 2023, the project covers a substantial area of 11,222 hectares within the Bourke Shire Council region. The surrounding landscape is typical of the Mulga Lands bioregion, primarily utilized for extensive grazing of sheep and cattle on large pastoral leases.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology. This method involves regenerating native forests on land where vegetation has been historically suppressed for at least 10 years, typically by livestock or feral animals. Unlike environmental planting, HIR does not usually involve planting new trees; instead, it relies on changes in land management, such as controlling the timing and extent of grazing and managing feral animals, to allow in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers to regenerate naturally. The target is for the vegetation to eventually achieve "forest cover," defined as 20% canopy cover at a height of 2 metres.

Environmentally, the region is classified as semi-arid with low, variable rainfall. The terrain generally consists of red earth and clay soils supporting Acacia woodlands (Mulga) and native grasses. The project specifically aims to restore these native forest systems by relieving grazing pressure, which not only sequesters carbon but can also improve biodiversity and soil stability in the Paroo and Warrego river catchments.