Thaa-Nguigarr Carbon Project

Thaa-Nguigarr Carbon Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located on Strathgordon Station in the remote Western Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. The vast project area, covering approximately 118,882 hectares, is situated roughly 80km east of the coastal community of Pormpuraaw and 100km north-east of Kowanyama. Registered in December 2016, the project is operated on Indigenous-held land administered by the Thaa-Nguigarr Strathgordon Aboriginal Corporation, ensuring the land is managed in accordance with the cultural and environmental aspirations of the Traditional Owners.

The region is characterized by a tropical monsoonal climate and is classified as a high rainfall zone, experiencing distinct wet and dry seasons. The landscape consists primarily of tropical savanna woodlands and floodplains, supported by soils that typically range from sandy loams to lateritic red earths common in the Cape York interior. Land use in this area is predominantly focused on conservation, traditional Indigenous land management, and low-intensity grazing.

Savanna Fire Management projects under the 2015 determination involve strategic, planned burning during the early dry season (cool burns). These controlled fires reduce the accumulated fuel load, such as dry grass and leaf litter, preventing high-intensity, uncontrollable wildfires from occurring in the late dry season. This shift in fire timing significantly reduces the emission of potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

The project is facilitated by the Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation, a non-profit organization whose name translates to "to build" or "lift up" in the Guugu Yimmithiir language. A notable achievement for this project was the completion of its carbon abatement contract (CAC827122) in September 2021. Revenue generated from the sale of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) is directed back into the community to support landholding obligations and ongoing management of the property.