Tiwi Fire and Carbon Project
In North Queensland, there wasn’t a clear way to measure the environmental health of savanna land, so it was hard to prove the benefits of Traditional Owner management.
Country: Tiwi
Project Partners: INPEX Australia, Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation
Sector(s): Carbon
The Tiwi Fire and Carbon Project was registered in 2016 to support the return of cultural fire practice and earn carbon credits.
Following support from the ILSC’s Savanna Fire Management Program (SFM), Tiwi Islanders are now independently managing their carbon and fire project.
Using cultural burning practices combined with science, savanna fire management helps prevent destructive late-season fires. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is a recognised way to generate carbon credits.
The Tiwi Fire and Carbon Project covers about 8,000 square kilometres on Melville and Bathurst Islands – home to the Tiwi people for thousands of years.
Since starting in 2016, more than 100 Traditional Owners and Tiwi Rangers have helped plan and carry out burns each year. The project has also trained 90 people, and employs Tiwi Rangers, also protecting cultural sites.
The ILSC’s SFM program has assisted Tiwi Islanders with the development of their project. The SFM Program uses funding from INPEX Australia to provide start-up funding to projects and in return they receive a share of carbon credits during successful early project years.
Since starting in 2016, 230,000 carbon credits worth about $8 million have been produced. Tiwi Islanders, Rangers and Tiwi Resources Pty Ltd have also built the skills and capacity to run their fire and carbon projects on their own. They have been operating as an independent, Indigenous-owned carbon enterprise since 2024. This is a huge step toward self-determination and creating local economic opportunities.
“This transition to independent management is a monumental step for the Tiwi people. It reflects our dedication to self-determination and our commitment to managing our land in a way that honours our culture and preserves our environment.” “We are proud to lead this project, which not only helps us maintain our traditional practices but also supports our community economically.” Spokesperson from Tiwi Resources Pty Ltd
This project has done more than cut greenhouse gas emissions. It’s created jobs for Indigenous rangers, helped protect important cultural sites, and is keeping Country healthy.
What’s next?
The success of this project means the Tiwi community now runs it independently, without outside funding – a big achievement for Tiwi Islanders. The SFM program is working with four other Indigenous carbon project partners to get started.