Wunambal Gaambera Uunguu Fire Project

Wunambal Gaambera Uunguu Fire Project is a savanna fire management project located in the remote North Kimberley region of Western Australia, approximately 300km northwest of Wyndham and encompassing the Mitchell Plateau. It was registered in February 2014 and covers an extensive area of 843,925.26 hectares.

Savanna fire management projects involve strategic, planned burning during the early dry season. The standard requirement of this methodology is to intentionally shift the timing of fires to earlier in the year when conditions are cooler and the vegetation holds more moisture. This reduces the fuel load on the ground and prevents the occurrence, intensity, and spread of destructive late dry season wildfires. This process significantly reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane and nitrous oxide, that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere by large-scale, unmanaged fires.

The North Kimberley region is characterised by a tropical monsoonal climate and sits within a high rainfall savanna zone, typically receiving over 1,000mm of rain annually. The environment features a mix of woodland and continuous grass layers supported by rocky sandstone plateaus and lateritic soils. Land use in the project area is dedicated to traditional Aboriginal practices, environmental conservation, and eco-tourism, forming a significant part of the Uunguu Indigenous Protected Area.

This project was established by the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation on behalf of the Wanjina-Wunggurr (Native Title) Aboriginal Corporation. The Uunguu Rangers use both traditional knowledge, known as "right-way" fire, and modern tools like helicopters to manage the land. This culturally important work not only generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) but also protects vital rock art sites and endemic wildlife, such as the Scaly-tailed Possum and Monjon rock wallaby, from catastrophic fires. In December 2015, the project transitioned from the original 2013 methodology to the updated 2015 Savanna Fire Management determination to better account for emissions abatement.