Central Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (CALFA) Project

Central Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (CALFA) Project is a savanna fire management project located in Central Arnhem Land, approximately 230km east of Jabiru and 450km east of Darwin in the Northern Territory. It was registered in December 2014 and covers a vast area of 2,556,621.66 ha.

Savanna fire management projects involve the strategic, planned burning of savanna woodlands during the early dry season. By reintroducing customary fine-scale mosaic burning practices, overall fuel loads are reduced. This lowers the risk, extent, and intensity of highly destructive wildfires during the late dry season, thereby preventing the net emission of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.

The land in this region is exclusive Aboriginal freehold land primarily utilized for traditional customary practices, Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs), and conservation. The project area falls within the high rainfall zone of Northern Australia, driven by a tropical monsoonal climate with distinct wet and long dry seasons. The diverse local environment features expansive floodplains, rugged sandstone escarpments, monsoonal rainforests, and intact riparian ecosystems, with soils predominantly comprising heavily weathered laterite, sandy loams, and shallow rocky substrates.

Originally operating as the West Arnhem Land Fire Abatement Stage 2 (WALFA2) project, it was renamed to CALFA in September 2017. The project is managed by ALFA (NT) Limited, an entirely Aboriginal-owned, not-for-profit carbon farming business. ALFA partners directly with local Traditional Owners and ranger groups, including the Mimal Rangers, Arafura Swamp Rangers Aboriginal Corporation (ASRAC), and Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation. All income generated from the sale of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) is transparently reinvested back into the community. These funds support the employment of Aboriginal rangers, sustain ongoing land management, and deliver broader community development goals. Major corporate entities, including Woodside Energy and IGO Limited, have actively purchased and retired ACCUs from the CALFA project to offset their operational greenhouse gas emissions.