North Kimberley Pastoral Lease Carbon Abatement

North Kimberley Pastoral Lease Carbon Abatement is a savanna burning project located in the remote North Kimberley region of Western Australia. The project specifically encompasses the Doongan and Theda pastoral stations, situated approximately 200km west of the nearest major town, Wyndham. Registered in February 2014, the project operates across a vast area of 844,114 hectares.

While the land tenure is pastoral leasehold, the region is rugged, largely unfenced, and characterized by "conservation focused" management rather than intensive commercial grazing. The current proponent, Dunkeld Pastoral Co., manages the stations with a primary emphasis on biodiversity protection and carbon abatement, significantly reducing stock pressure to focus on environmental outcomes.

The project utilizes the Early Dry Season Savanna Burning methodology. This involves conducting strategic, cool burns early in the dry season (typically April to July) to reduce the fuel load. By doing so, the project prevents the spread of large, high-intensity wildfires that typically occur in the late dry season. This shift in fire regime reduces the emission of greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide and protects fire-sensitive habitats.

The North Kimberley environment is classified as a tropical savanna with a distinct monsoonal climate. The region experiences high rainfall restricted to a short wet season, followed by a long dry season which drives the fire risk. The terrain is defined by rugged sandstone escarpments and plateaus, with soils generally being skeletal or sandy, supporting vegetation such as spinifex grasslands and eucalypt woodlands.

An interesting history accompanies this project; it was originally registered by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) under the name "Ecofire-North Carbon Abatement" before being transferred to Dunkeld Pastoral Co. in late 2014. The properties are also sites of significant scientific research, including studies on Kimberley rock art and cane toad mitigation strategies.