Savanna Fire Management Northern Arid Zone Method Extension

Since 2020 the Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) has been pursuing the extension of the Savanna Fire Management into the Northern Arid Zone to enable high fire frequency areas below the 600mm rainfall isohyet to abate carbon emissions through the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme.

This extension includes significant areas of the Great Sandy Desert region in Western Australia and the Tanami Desert region in the Northern Territory. The SFM NAZ method extension was prioritised for development by the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC).

Work by DCCEEW and IDA on finalising key technical aspects of the method is currently underway. IDA anticipates that the opportunity to register a Savanna Fire Management Emissions Avoidance project through the ACCU scheme will become available in the Northern Arid Zone in 2027.

Status

Confirmation that the Savanna Fire Management Northern Arid Zone method extension could be actioned via a Technical Guidance update was provided  by the Australian Government as part of Savanna Fire Management Methods release in 2026. Final development phase of Northern Arid Zone extension is currently underway via completion of a technical guidance document update through IDA-DCCEEW partnership

Method development team

Charles Darwin University research science underpinning method: Cameron Yates, Jay Evans, Roland Vernooij, Tom Eames, Ed Muir, Jarrad Holmes, Andrew Edwards, Jeremy Russell-Smith (2021-2023).

Indigenous partner organisations for method research and capacity building: Kimberley Land Council (KLC) & Central Land Council (CLC). Field research partners included the North Tanami Rangers, Muru-Warinyi Ankkul Rangers, Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation and the Ngurrara Rangers.

Funding support for method development: Indigenous Land & Sea Corporation (ILSC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Northern Territory Government Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, CLC, KLC and 10 Deserts Project. 

IDA proponent-led method development in partnership with DCCEEW: IDA nature markets team.

IDA nature markets team includes Jarrad Holmes, Dan Johanson, Taegan Calnan, Hannah Cliff, Lara Paijmans and Anne Wayne. 

Learn more about the IDA team here.

For further information please email naturemarkets@indigenousdesertalliance.com.

Technical document provision

Incentivizing sustainable fire management in Australia's northern arid spinifex grasslands.