Nyaliga Fire Project

The Nyaliga Fire Project was registered in 2017 by Nyaliga Aboriginal Corporation as the Traditional Owners of the land now known as the Karunjie and Durack River Pastoral Stations in the East Kimberley of Northern WA. The project involves controlled early dry season burning – aerial and on-ground – carried out by Nyaliga Traditional Owners, including the Nyaliga indigenous ranger team, which was formally established in 2020 to look after our country (pictured).

Burning operations are carried out in line with traditional indigenous knowledge and practice, but utilising modern technologies, including satellite sensing / mapping and aerial incendiary drops with helicopters. Operations are aimed at creating a patchwork of cool season burns as firebreaks, limiting destructive late season wildfires and associated greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring protection of biodiversity and cultural sites. Nyaliga Traditional Owners are trained and employed to carry out burning on-country, and revenue generated from the sale of ACCUs is reinvested into ongoing fire management to ensure the sustainability of the project and the co-benefits it delivers.

The Nyaliga Fire Project is supported by the Kimberley Land Council (KLC) for fire and carbon operations, Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation and the Wanjina-Wunggurr (Native Title) Aboriginal Corporation (RNTBC), as well as the Indigenous Land and Sea Council (ILSC) as the current leaseholder.