Charnley LR Carbon Abatement

Charnley LR Carbon Abatement is a Savanna Fire Management project located at the Charnley River – Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary, approximately 250km east of Derby in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Registered on February 3, 2016, the project covers a vast area of 161,307 hectares. The property, formerly a pastoral lease known as Charnley River Station, is now managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). The region is characterized by rugged sandstone ranges and gorges, primarily used for conservation and biodiversity protection, although it retains a history of cattle grazing.

The project operates under the 2015 Savanna Fire Management methodology, specifically targeting the "Low Rainfall" zone (typically defined as receiving between 600mm and 1000mm of rainfall annually). This methodology involves strategic, planned burning during the early dry season (EDS) when conditions are cooler and vegetation is still moist. These controlled "cool burns" create firebreaks and reduce the fuel load, significantly lowering the risk and intensity of uncontrolled late dry season (LDS) wildfires. By preventing hot LDS fires, the project reduces the release of methane and nitrous oxide, potent greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere.

Environmentally, the project area sits within a tropical savanna climate characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. The landscape features the Artesian Range and is dominated by skeletal sandy soils on the sandstone plateaus and ridges, with heavier alluvial clay and silt soils found in the river valleys and lowlands. The vegetation consists largely of tropical open woodlands, spinifex grasslands, and riparian forests along the Charnley River.

A notable feature of this project is its location within the Artesian Range, which is described as the only part of mainland Australia to have experienced no known mammal extinctions since European settlement. The revenue generated from Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) directly supports the AWC’s conservation efforts, helping to protect threatened species such as the Northern Quoll and the Gouldian Finch. The station is also a remote tourism destination, accessible via the Gibb River Road.