Savanna Burning Investment Ready Project - Cape York Pilot Aurukun

Savanna Burning Investment Ready Project - Cape York Pilot Aurukun is a savanna fire management project located on the western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. The project area, covering approximately 379,397 hectares, is situated on Wik and Kugu country, roughly 60km south of the remote township of Aurukun.

Registered in January 2015, this project was established to transition the local fire regime from high-intensity late dry season wildfires to controlled, cooler burns during the early dry season. By strategically burning when vegetation still retains moisture, the project reduces the overall fuel load and prevents large-scale, uncontrollably hot fires later in the year. This shift avoids significant emissions of methane and nitrous oxide. The project operates under the Savanna Fire Management methodology in the high rainfall zone (receiving over 1000mm annually), typical of the monsoonal climate in this region.

The environment of the western Cape York Peninsula is characterized by tropical savanna woodlands and vast floodplains. The region experiences a distinct wet season (December to March) with annual rainfall often exceeding 1700mm, followed by a long dry season. The soils in this area are predominantly Kandosols (red, sandy-to-loamy earths) and lateritic soils, which support the native eucalypt and melaleuca vegetation. Land use in the region is primarily dedicated to Indigenous land management, cultural preservation, and conservation, managed by local Ranger groups.

A notable aspect of this project is its origin as a "Pilot" or "Investment Ready" initiative, designed to build capacity for carbon farming within the Indigenous community. Originally co-managed with the Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation, the project has successfully transitioned to full management by Aak Puul Ngantam Ltd (APN), a Traditional Owner-owned organization. APN reinvests revenue from the sale of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) into community programs, infrastructure, and "returning to country" initiatives for the Wik and Kugu people. The project successfully completed a Commonwealth carbon abatement contract (CAC102439) in 2020.