WALFA Project

A greenhouse gas abatement partnership from western Arnhem Land was awarded the Caring for Country Indigenous Award at the Banksia Awards. The Banksia Awards, known widely as Australia's 'environmental Oscars', were announced in Sydney on the 28 October 2011.

In accepting the prize on behalf of five Indigenous ranger grups, Dean Yibarbuk, a director of Warddeken Land Manaagement, said, "The use of two toolboxes - one based on Indigenous tradition and the other with roots in science - allowed us to bring wildfire back under control in western and central Arnhem Land."

The project set an annual target of 100,000 tonnes of Co2 abatement but in the five years to 2010 it actually abated 707,000 tonnes - a 140% result against the target!

Read more in the media release, and award submission.

 Preparing for and carrying out cool dry season burning in western Arnhem Land.

Research in west Arnhem Land has shown that strategic fire management in savanna landscapes, utilising local Indigenous knowledge and biophysical science can lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, improvement in biodiversity values and an important livelihood option for the lands’ Aboriginal custodians.

This research led to a landmark greenhouse gas offset agreement between ConocoPhillips, the NT Government, Northern Land Council, and traditional owners and Indigenous land managers in west Arnhem Land. This agreement recognises significant greenhouse gas abatement achieved through savanna fire management carried out by Indigenous Ranger groups as an offset to some of the greenhouse gas emissions generated at ConocoPhillips’ liquefied natural gas plant in Darwin Harbour. Under the arrangement around $1million a year is paid into the WAFMA project for 17 years to provide this fire management service.

The WALFA Project uses traditional fire management practices together with modern scientific knowledge to better control the extent and severity of savanna wildfires thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions by around 100,000 tonnes per year. Essentially, the project seeks to increase the proportion of controlled early dry season fires to create fire breaks and patchy mosaics of burnt and unburnt country to minimise destructive late dry season wildfires and maximise biodiversity protection.

As well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to positive biodiversity conservation outcomes WALFA is showing that land management can provide sustainable employment for Indigenous land managers, and support for living on country.