Fire Management
Updated: Oct 12
The tropical savannas of northern Australia are among the most fire-prone ecosystems on Earth, with up to half of many savanna landscapes, including the Tiwi Islands, being burnt each year. Fire plays a key role in maintaining the open vegetation structure that most savanna plants and animals require. However, there is concern that fire frequency in some areas is too high, and that this is having a negative impact on biodiversity.
Savanna fires also have an important influence on greenhouse gases. They make a significant contribution to the nation’s accountable (non-CO2) emissions through the release of methane and nitrous oxide. Savannas contain about 30 per cent of Australia’s terrestrial carbon stocks, and fire also influences rates of carbon sequestration through its effects on tree growth and survival, litter decomposition and charcoal production.
Burning is an important land management tool for Tiwi land managers, and there is growing concern about the negative impacts of more intense fires occurring late in the dry season. Most emissions from burning are generated by these fires that sweep across remote areas from late August onwards. As well as producing greenhouse gases, late dry season fires can threaten biodiversity. Reducing the extent of these fires can earn carbon credits.
In 2016, the Tiwi Islands Savanna Burning for Greenhouse Gas Abatement Project was registered with the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund and since 2018 has successfully accrued ACCUs under the Emissions Abatement through Savanna Fire Management 2015 (SavBAT 2.2) methodology. From 2016 to 2023 the project’s establishment was supported by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation’s Savanna Fire Management Program with funding from the INPEX Corporation.
In October 2024, the Tiwi Fire and Carbon Project became a fully independent Tiwi-owned carbon enterprise. This transition away from external funding was due to successful project management by Tiwi Resources and the Tiwi Rangers. It marks a crucial step in the Tiwi journey towards self-determination and local enterprise growth.
As well as addressing global climate change, the Tiwi Fire and Carbon project provides a wide range of benefits to Tiwi landowners and their communities including:
Increased economic independence and self-determination.
Training and employment opportunities for Tiwi people on Tiwi country.
Improved ecosystem health and conservation of native wildlife.
Increased control of feral animals and weeds that thrive in frequently burnt country.
Protection of infrastructure including communities, outstations, bush camps, forestry plantations, and tourism facilities.
Acknowledgment and preservation of Tiwi fire knowledge and skills.
Increased opportunities for Tiwi people to connect with country.
Tiwi Fire and Carbon Project Management Plans
Weeds and Fire
Tiwi people live in small communities and permanent outstations that are closely connected with the surrounding bush. Compared to the rest of the islands, these areas have the largest infestations of weeds such as Mission grass (Cenchrus polystachios) and Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus). These weeds have much higher fuel loads than native grasses resulting in much higher fire intensities, especially later in the dry season. Such fires contribute to soil erosion, destruction of native vegetation and habitat decline. They also present a significant risk to property and even to people’s lives.
Contact:
Tiwi Fire Officer: admin@tiwiresources.com.au