Batavia Savanna Burning Project

The Batavia Savanna Burning Project is a savanna fire management project located on the Batavia Downs property and Batavia National Park in the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Situated approximately 100km east of Weipa, the project covers a vast area of roughly 241,500 hectares. It was registered in October 2015 and is operated by the Batavia Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation in partnership with Corporate Carbon Solutions. The land, formerly a government research station and grazing property, was returned to the Atambaya, Northern Kaanju, and Yinwum people in 2012 and is now primarily used for Indigenous land management and conservation.

This project operates under the Savanna Fire Management methodology, specifically designed for the high rainfall zone (receiving over 1000mm annually). The core activity involves conducting strategic, planned burns during the early dry season (typically January to July) when vegetation is still moist and fires are cooler and patchier. These "cool burns" create fire breaks that limit the spread and intensity of uncontrolled wildfires in the late dry season, thereby reducing the release of potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

The region is characterized by a tropical monsoonal climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The landscape features extensive tropical savannas, vine forest patches, and wetland systems along the Wenlock River. Soils in this part of Cape York are typically lateritic red earths and sandy loams, which support the native eucalypt woodlands and grass fuels targeted by the burning regime.

Beyond carbon abatement, the project delivers significant co-benefits. Revenue from Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) funds approximately 90% of the Batavia Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation's operations, supporting on-country employment and the protection of cultural sites. The fire management also helps preserve habitat for threatened species such as the Palm Cockatoo and Rufous Owl by preventing destructive late-season wildfires.