Bonny Glen Carbon Project

The Bonny Glen Carbon Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located on Bonny Glen Station in the Palmer River region of Cape York, Queensland. Situated approximately 40km southwest of Lakeland and within the Cook Shire, the project was registered in September 2019 and covers a substantial area of approximately 147,509 hectares. The location places it in the remote tropical savannas of Far North Queensland, an area characterized by rugged terrain, open woodlands, and seasonal river systems.

Reductions in wildfire emissions are achieved through the "Savanna Fire Management" methodology. This involves conducting strategic, low-intensity burns during the early dry season (cooler months) to reduce the fuel load. By doing so, the project aims to prevent high-intensity, uncontrolled wildfires that typically occur in the late dry season, thereby avoiding significant emissions of methane and nitrous oxide while promoting carbon sequestration in dead organic matter.

The region is defined by a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The project area uniquely straddles both the high and low rainfall zones (as classified by the methodology, typically split at the 1000mm isohyet), requiring tailored management strategies for each zone. The land use is primarily a mix of pastoral cattle grazing and Indigenous land management. Soils in the area are known to be susceptible to erosion, with the proponent, Gummi Junga Aboriginal Corporation, actively engaged in rehabilitation works to address erosion around historical sites on the property.

Interesting aspects of this project include its leadership and community involvement. The proponent, Gummi Junga Aboriginal Corporation, represents the Traditional Owners and has utilized funding to purchase machinery for land rehabilitation, such as fixing erosion gullies near abandoned mine sites. Additionally, project participant John Brisbin is a notable figure in Queensland's Natural Resource Management (NRM) sector, having served with the Northern Gulf NRM, bringing significant technical and ecological expertise to the operation.