Jawoyn Fire Project

Jawoyn Fire Project is a savanna fire management project located in the Northern Territory, starting near Katherine and extending northwards across the traditional lands of the Jawoyn people. It was registered in February 2014 and covers 148,501.07 hectares.

Savanna fire management projects in the high rainfall zone involve strategic, controlled burning during the early dry season. By deliberately reducing fuel loads early in the year, the risk and intensity of unmanaged, severe late dry season wildfires are minimized. This methodology significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane and nitrous oxide, that would otherwise be released by intense unmanaged fires.

The Katherine region is characterized by monsoonal tropics with a high rainfall climate. Soils across this area, which encompasses parts of Nitmiluk National Park, generally consist of rugged sandstone plateaus, lateritic soils, and sandy loams. The general land use in the region includes Aboriginal protected lands, national park conservation, cultural tourism, and some surrounding cattle grazing.

The project is managed by the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation and blends tens of thousands of years of traditional Indigenous fire management practices with modern scientific tools, such as aerial tracking and helicopter ignition. Revenue generated from the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) is reinvested into the community, funding ranger programs and local enterprises like Nitmiluk Tours. The project successfully completed its initial Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC102455) with the government in November 2015.