Marion Downs Carbon Abatement

Marion Downs Carbon Abatement is a Savanna Fire Management project located in the remote Central Kimberley region of Western Australia, approximately 300km east of Derby. Registered in February 2016, the project covers a massive 251,679 hectares of rugged landscape. The project area is situated on Marion Downs Sanctuary, a former cattle station that is now a conservation reserve owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).

The project operates under the Savanna Fire Management methodology, which involves conducting strategic, planned burns during the early dry season (typically January to July) to reduce the fuel load. By burning when vegetation is still moist and temperatures are cooler, these fires are less intense and create firebreaks that prevent large, uncontrolled, and high-emission wildfires in the late dry season. This shift in fire regime reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions (methane and nitrous oxide) and protects the landscape's biodiversity.

The Marion Downs area is characterized by a tropical monsoonal climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. While the region receives significant rainfall during the wet season (November to April), it is classified as a "low rainfall zone" (600–1000 mm annual average) for the purpose of the carbon methodology, distinguishing it from the higher rainfall zones further north. The terrain consists of rugged sandstone escarpments, deep river gorges, and tropical savanna woodlands, typically supported by shallow sandy or red duplex soils.

A key feature of this project is its dual benefit: it generates carbon credits while directly supporting the conservation of threatened species. Marion Downs Sanctuary creates a contiguous protected area with the neighbouring Mornington Sanctuary, providing a critical refuge for the endangered Gouldian Finch, the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren, and the Northern Quoll. The revenue generated from Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) helps fund the AWC's extensive land management and conservation operations in the region.