Judbarra 2 Fire Project

Judbarra 2 Fire Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located within the Judbarra / Gregory National Park in the Northern Territory. The project covers a vast area of approximately 1.3 million hectares, situated roughly 300km west of Katherine and extending south from the township of Timber Creek near the Western Australian border. Registered in December 2024, this project represents a strategic "reset" of a previous carbon project in the park, aiming to implement improved fire management practices across the rugged landscape.

Savanna Fire Management (Emissions Avoidance) projects involve reducing the frequency and intensity of late dry season wildfires. By conducting planned, cool-burning fires during the early dry season, project managers reduce the fuel load in the landscape. This prevents larger, hotter fires later in the year, thereby avoiding the release of significant amounts of methane and nitrous oxide.

The region lies in the transition zone between the tropical Top End and the semi-arid interior, classified as a "low rainfall zone" (receiving approximately 600mm to 1000mm of rain annually). The environment is defined by dramatic sandstone escarpments, limestone karst systems, and gorges, with soils ranging from skeletal rocky outcrops to red earths. The primary land use is conservation and tourism, managed jointly by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC), NT Parks and Wildlife, and Traditional Owners.

An interesting aspect of this project is its registration as "Judbarra 2" following the de-registration of the original Judbarra project, which struggled with severe wildfire seasons that exceeded emissions baselines. The new project serves as a fresh start, utilizing updated modelling to support the Ngarinyman, Wardaman, and other Traditional Owner groups in protecting cultural sites and biodiversity through traditional burning practices.