Mt Mulgrave Savanna Burning Project

Mt Mulgrave Savanna Burning Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located at Mt Mulgrave Station, approximately 120km north-northwest of Chillagoe and 260km northwest of Mareeba in the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland. Registered in October 2015, the project covers a vast area of approximately 279,869 hectares along the Mitchell River. The region is predominantly used for pastoral agriculture, specifically extensive beef cattle grazing, which has been the primary operation of the station for over four decades under the Kingsley family.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Emissions Abatement through Savanna Fire Management) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology involves conducting strategic, planned burns during the early dry season (typically January to July) when conditions are cooler and vegetation retains moisture. These "cool burns" create fire breaks and reduce fuel loads, preventing high-intensity, uncontrolled wildfires during the late dry season. By shifting the fire regime, the project reduces the emission of methane and nitrous oxide, generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

Environmentally, the project area is characterized by a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The project explicitly notes activities in both "high and low rainfall areas," indicating the property likely straddles the 1000mm annual rainfall isohyet, which is a key boundary for calculation variances within the methodology. The terrain features savanna woodlands with soils ranging from alluvial clays along the Mitchell River frontage to sandy loams and rocky earths in the higher rugged country.

An interesting aspect of this project is the integration of carbon farming with active cattle station management. The proponents utilize helicopters for both cattle mustering and aerial incendiary burning, demonstrating how pastoralists can diversify income streams while protecting their pasture from devastating late-season wildfires. The project has seen administrative variations, including updates to participant structures involving Corporate Carbon Solutions and South Pole Australia.