In one of the world's most fire-prone regions, 'cutting edge' techniques are protecting precious habitat (2024)

Two traditional owner-focused organisations have been recognised for their work managing fire across Western Australia's remote northern landscape.

Already, 37,000 square kilometres have been burnt in the year to date across WA's Kimberley, which covers a land area roughly the size of Sweden.

About 32,000 square kilometres have been burnt under prescribed fire management.

It's crucial work. Northern Australia's tropical savannas, where native grasses can grow taller than a man, are among the most fire-prone regions in the world.

Traditional owners have a long history of managing their country and reducing the risks of hot and damaging bushfires with monitored mosaic "cool" burns.

Google recognises work of traditional owners

The Kimberley Land Council (KLC) received international recognition from Google for its tropical savanna emissions prediction tool, which estimates the carbon impact of fires.

KLC's Tyronne Garstone said the tool helped Indigenous ranger groups plan "right-way" burning early in the season to reduce the amount of land burnt by hot late-season wildfires, which release much larger amounts of methane and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

"I think this is a good collaboration where we're seeing western technology meet traditional owner knowledge," he said.

"Wildfires are one of the largest polluters across the world, so these rangers and the initiatives that they're doing here in the Kimberley are cutting edge."

The tool assists groups running savanna fire management projects to predict the number of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), which are granted by the national regulator, they will earn each year.

It counts the quantity of emissions reduced by project activities, compared to emissions generated by wildfires in years before the project.

"We've seen additional employment happening on the ground [because of the wealth generated by ACCUs]," Mr Garstone said.

Room for growth with carbon credits

The CEO of independent body Carbon Market Institute, John Connor, said more than 50,000 ACCUs were generated by the savanna fire prescribed burns last year alone, and they were fetching a high price.

"Now we're looking at the mid-to-high $40 range for Australian Carbon Credit Units that have Indigenous co-benefits," Mr Connor said.

"That's [generating] over $2.5 million that can be going into Indigenous projects and communities."

The savanna fire methodology is currently under review, and Mr Connor said there was room for further growth in the space.

"Because through the cool burns … you actually [also] get some good vegetation build up, and they're trying to look at ways in which that can be added into the mix as well," he said.

"[The income generated by savanna fire management] can grow and can grow more, and that's what we're looking to do with greater credibility."

Severe peninsula fires halved

Meanwhile, the Dampier Peninsula Fire Working Group has won two Landcare awards for First Nations collaboration and community partnerships.

The group brings together traditional owners, ranger groups, government agencies, pastoralists and not-for-profit organisations.

Program manager Chris Curnow said the award was "incredible recognition" for the group's collective effort to manage fire on the peninsula.

"It takes a lot of effort for all the groups, the pastoral stations, the native title holders to look at how they can bring it back together and work together to try and break the country up so you're not having all the country burning in one go," he said.

Fire ecologist Sarah Legge said before the fire projects, over 40 per cent of the peninsula was burning each year, but that had reduced to less than 20 per cent.

"By reducing the frequency of severe fire, we're protecting habitat for bilbies and improving vegetation conditions," Professor Legge said.

"The fire programs change the fire regimes in ways that we can demonstrate are helpful to plants and animals."

'Really making a difference'

Head of the Nyul Nyul rangers, who work as part of the group, Preston Cox said he had seen the benefit good fire management brought to his country.

"When a group first started, pretty much there was nothing left," he said.

"Since the program started, it's all about conservation, we haven't had a really bad fire for the last two or three years."

The rangers are gearing up to start their planned burning now and, after a dry wet season in the west Kimberley, Mr Cox sees the need to be proactive.

"We took a ride out about a week ago and it's dry, it looks like a wheat field out there, so it's ready to go," he said.

When his team does get out to conduct their "right-way" burns, Mr Cox said they would have a pep in their step.

"[Receiving these awards] gives us a bit of pride, I think it kind of tells us that what we're doing here is really making a difference," he said.

And he hoped the rest of the country would sit up and pay attention.

"People everywhere can take a look at what we're doing here and say, 'Maybe it's time we started listening to our Indigenous people'," he said.

"Because our people have been doing burns on country for thousands of years at the right time. And it's worked."