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 burning during the early dry season, 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 prevent destructive wildfires and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane and nitrous oxide.

The Cape York Peninsula region is known for cattle farming, pastoral operations, and significant conservation efforts on Indigenous-held lands. The area 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 Traditional Owners of the land, heavily participates in the station's management and operations. Revenue from the project has facilitated a 25-year income stream used to fund MAAC business services and employ Traditional Owners as fire management operators and rangers. Corporate Carbon Solutions was a co-proponent of the project from October 2015 to December 2022. Furthermore, the project was contracted by the government in November 2015, and this contract (CAC102373) was successfully completed in May 2020 after delivering 95,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units to the Commonwealth. Credits from this project have also been highly sought after by Australian businesses looking to achieve carbon neutrality under the Climate Active standard.