Batavia Savanna Burning Project

Batavia Savanna Burning Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, neighbouring the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve to the north-west. It was registered in October 2015 and spans an area of 241,499.91 hectares.

Savanna fire management projects involve the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season. This traditional methodology reduces the fuel load, which subsequently decreases the size, intensity, and frequency of destructive late dry season wildfires. By avoiding these intense late-season fires, the project reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions.

The project area is situated in a high rainfall zone, receiving over 1000mm of rain annually. The regional soils are typical of the Cape York Peninsula, featuring low-nutrient kandosols, and are dominated locally by yellow earths, red earths, and earthy sands. Historically, the land operated as the Batavia Downs grazing property and later as a Queensland State Government research station. In November 2012, it was returned to the Traditional Owners, the Atambaya, Northern Kaanju, and Yinwum peoples, and a portion now forms the jointly managed Batavia National Park.

The Batavia Savanna Burning Project is deeply intertwined with cultural tradition. Integrating Indigenous fire management practices provides substantial co-benefits, such as protecting culturally significant sites, conserving native vegetation, and maintaining natural wetlands. By preventing intense wildfires, the project safeguards habitats for threatened native species such as the palm cockatoo and the rufous owl. Revenue generated from the sale of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) is directed back into the community, funding 90% of the Batavia Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation's operations and supporting local Ranger programs in pest, weed, and feral animal management. Additionally, a variation on January 1, 2015, formally added Corporate Carbon Solutions Pty Ltd as a co-participant on the project.