Tiwi Islands Savanna Burning for Greenhouse Gas Abatement

Tiwi Islands Savanna Burning for Greenhouse Gas Abatement is a savanna fire management project located across the Tiwi Islands (Bathurst and Melville Islands), approximately 80km north of Darwin in the Northern Territory. Registered in December 2016, the project covers a massive 736,833 hectares, encompassing the vast majority of the islands' land mass.

The project operates under the 2015 Savanna Fire Management methodology, specifically designed for the high rainfall zone. This method focuses on emissions avoidance rather than carbon sequestration. By conducting strategic, cool-burning fires during the early dry season (typically January to July), the project proponents reduce the vegetative fuel load. This significantly lowers the risk and intensity of uncontrolled wildfires during the late dry season, which are hotter and release higher volumes of greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

The Tiwi Islands are situated in a tropical monsoon climate and are classified as a high rainfall zone, often receiving over 2000mm of rain annually in northern areas. The landscape is dominated by tall eucalypt forests and unique rainforest patches supported by lateritic soils, primarily red and yellow sandy loams (kandosols).

A key feature of this project is its strong community integration; it is 100% Indigenous-owned by Tiwi Resources Pty Ltd. Local Tiwi Land Rangers carry out the fire management activities, which blend traditional ecological knowledge with modern aerial burning techniques. In addition to generating carbon credits, the project is vital for protecting cultural sites and biodiversity. It recently celebrated a major milestone in late 2024 by transitioning to a fully independent Indigenous-owned enterprise, having successfully graduated from initial funding support provided by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and INPEX.