Merepah Fire Project

The Merepah Fire Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located on Merepah Station, a pastoral lease in the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland. The property is situated approximately 100km west of the town of Coen and features the Holroyd River running through its landscape. Registered in September 2014, the project covers a vast area of approximately 183,570 hectares.

Merepah Station functions as a working cattle station and is owned by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC). The land is managed in partnership with the Moompa-Awu Aboriginal Corporation (MAAC), facilitating indigenous training and employment alongside pastoral operations. The region falls within the high rainfall zone of Northern Australia, characterized by tropical savanna woodlands. The local environment typically consists of extensive plains featuring sandy or loamy red earth soils, with clay presence in depressions and river frontages.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Emissions Abatement through Savanna Fire Management) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology generates carbon credits by avoiding the greenhouse gas emissions associated with high-intensity late dry season wildfires. Project managers conduct strategic, planned burns during the early dry season (cooler months) to create firebreaks and reduce fuel loads. This shifts the fire regime from destructive, high-emission wildfires to controlled, low-emission burns, thereby reducing the output of Methane and Nitrous Oxide.

A notable aspect of this project is its dual purpose of supporting the financial viability of the cattle business while protecting cultural sites and biodiversity. The project previously held a Carbon Abatement Contract with the Australian Government, which was successfully completed in 2020. While Corporate Carbon Solutions was historically involved as a participant, the project structure returned to the sole administration of the ILSC in 2022 to continue supporting the Moompa-Awu Traditional Owners.