Oriners and Sefton Savanna Burning Project

The Oriners and Sefton project is a savanna burning project located in the western Cape York Peninsula in the Mitchell River basin. The Kowanyama Rangers started undertaking early season fire management in 2012, refining its approach and its longer term management plan in the following years.

The Rangers have been successful in combining their traditional knowledge with modern hi-tech hardware to manage country the right way through traditional patchwork burning.

Greenhouse gases emitted from savanna fires make up 3% of Australia’s total emissions. Savanna burning projects undertaken by Traditional Owners and Aboriginal rangers reduce GHG emissions by undertaking cool, lower intensity fires in the early dry season when the vegetation still contains some moisture from the wet season.

This reduces the GHG emitted from high intensity, unmanaged fire in the late dry season when the country is dry.