Merepah Fire Project

Merepah Fire Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located at Merepah Station, approximately 80km northwest of Coen on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland. It was registered in September 2014 and covers 183,569.75 ha.

Savanna Fire Management projects involve strategic and planned early dry season burning, using both aerial and ground techniques, to reduce the frequency and intensity of unmanaged late dry season wildfires. By shifting the burning pattern to earlier in the year when conditions are cooler and wetter, these projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions (specifically methane and nitrous oxide) from destructive wild fires and generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

The Cape York Peninsula region is known for cattle farming, pastoral operations, and significant conservation efforts on Indigenous-held lands. The region is classified as a high rainfall monsoonal zone, and the environment generally consists of sandy earths, loams, and clays that support native tropical savanna woodlands and grassy understories.

The project operates on an active cattle station owned by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC). The Moompa-Awu Aboriginal Corporation (MAAC), which represents the Wik Iiyney and Mankanhu people who hold a cultural connection to the land, heavily participates in the station's management and operations. Revenue generated from the carbon project has facilitated a 25-year income stream used to fund MAAC business services, refurbish the station's older infrastructure, and directly employ Traditional Owners as fire management operators and rangers. Additionally, ACCUs generated by this project have been purchased by several prominent Australian businesses, including digital publisher Man of Many and law firm Gilbert + Tobin, to help offset their emissions and achieve carbon neutrality under the federal Climate Active standard. Corporate Carbon Solutions was also involved as a project participant between October 2015 and December 2022.