Wardaman Fire Management Project

Wardaman Fire Management Project is a savanna fire management project located approximately 145km southwest of Katherine in the Victoria Daly region of the Northern Territory. Registered in December 2021, the project covers a substantial area of roughly 296,023 hectares across the Menngen (formerly Innesvale Station) and Yibulyawun Aboriginal Land Trusts.

This project operates under the Carbon Farming Initiative (Savanna Fire Management, Emissions Avoidance) Methodology Determination 2018. The core activity involves strategic "Early Dry Season" (EDS) burning, lighting cool, patchy fires when vegetation is still moist. This practice reduces the fuel load, thereby preventing large, high-intensity "Late Dry Season" (LDS) wildfires that emit significantly more methane and nitrous oxide. The project area sits within a transitional zone, covering both high rainfall (>1000mm) and low rainfall (600-1000mm) classifications typical of the tropical savanna climate.

The landscape is characterized by rugged sandstone country intermixed with undulating plains, featuring soils that range from skeletal sands on ridges to red earths (Kandosols) and sandy loams in the lower lying areas. Beyond carbon abatement, the project supports the Wardaman Rangers in managing country to protect biodiversity and cultural heritage. A notable co-benefit is the protection of significant rock art sites, such as those of the "Lightning Brothers" (Yagjagbula and Jabirringi), from heat damage caused by uncontrolled wildfires.