Abingdon Savanna Fire Management

Abingdon Savanna Fire Management is a Savanna Fire Management project located at Abingdon Downs Station, approximately 100km north of Georgetown in the Gulf Country region of North Queensland. Registered in November 2024, the project covers a massive area of nearly 485,000 hectares, encompassing the entirety of the historic pastoral lease.

The Abingdon Downs property is a large-scale cattle station operated by the Cunningham Cattle Company (a subsidiary of Gunn Agri). The land is primarily used for grazing Brahman cattle on native vegetation. Geographically, the station is significant as it sits at the confluence of the Einasleigh and Etheridge rivers. The region is classified as a low rainfall zone, typically receiving around 800mm of rain annually. The landscape is characterized by tropical savanna woodlands with soils varying from sandy loams on the plains to alluvial clays near the river systems.

This project operates under the "Savanna Fire Management - Emissions Avoidance" methodology. Its primary goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (specifically methane and nitrous oxide) by shifting the fire regime. Project managers conduct strategic, low-intensity burns during the early dry season (typically January to July) to reduce fuel loads and create firebreaks. This proactive approach aims to prevent the outbreak of uncontrollable, high-intensity wildfires during the late dry season, which are far more damaging to the landscape and release significantly higher levels of emissions.

An interesting note about this property is its dual focus on production and conservation; in 2024, a significant portion of the station (Abingdon Downs North) was declared a nature refuge to protect the biodiversity of the Gulf Plains bioregion.