Moroak & Goondooloo Stations (Revoked)

ERF103036

Project Information:

Moroak & Goondooloo Stations (Revoked) was a Savanna Fire Management project located in the Roper River region of the Northern Territory, approximately 70km east of Mataranka and 160km east of Katherine. Registered in February 2016, the project covered a massive aggregation of 232,823 hectares. The project was voluntarily revoked in September 2023.

The project operated under the Savanna Fire Management methodology, which involves strategic, planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season (EDS). By burning when vegetation is still moist and temperatures are cooler, land managers reduce the fuel load, thereby preventing large-scale, high-intensity wildfires in the late dry season (LDS). This process reduces emissions of methane and nitrous oxide and creates firebreaks that protect biodiversity and infrastructure.

The region is defined by its pastoral history, primarily used for cattle breeding and grazing. The environment features the Roper River flowing through the property, supporting alluvial plains and woodlands. The area sits in a transitional rainfall zone, often classified as "low rainfall" (600–1000mm) for carbon accounting purposes, though it borders higher rainfall areas. Soils in this region are typically a mix of alluvial clays along the river flats and sandy loams or red earth (Kandosols) in the surrounding open plains.

A notable aspect of this project's history is its revocation in 2023, which appears to coincide with a strategic shift in land management. Recent property listings for the stations indicate that while the fire management project was revoked, the aggregation has since received approval for a Human Induced Regeneration (HIR) project known as the "Flying Fox River Carbon Project." This suggests the landowners may have opted to switch methodologies to focus on forest regeneration rather than fire abatement. Additionally, the proponent, Country Carbon Pty. Ltd., entered into an Enforceable Undertaking with the Clean Energy Regulator in 2020 regarding its operational conduct.