Experts to fire up at carbon forum

A rapidly growing industry worth upwards of $40 million to Northern Australia is the focus of a forum in Darwin this week.

The Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research (DCBR) at Charles Darwin University, with government and industry partners, will host the first national Savanna Fire and Carbon forum from 27 – 28 February.

Forum co-ordinator and bushfire researcher Cameron Yates said strategic burning regimes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were now widespread, providing huge environmental, social and economic benefits to communities and private landholders.

“This fledgling industry now covers hundreds of thousands of square kilometres across North Australia and is generating millions of dollars a year in income,” Mr Yates said.

He said the forum would bring together more than 100 key stakeholders from across Northern Australia including bushfire experts, Indigenous and non-Indigenous land managers, scientists and industry partners.

“This meeting will be an important milestone in the development of this globally significant innovation in land management.”

The forum will be the first of regular industry meetings bringing together stakeholders to discuss operational best-practice and develop the savanna fire and carbon industry.

“Considering the fast-evolving policy and practice related to Northern fire management, this meeting will be key in building a stronger network and common goals between groups and individuals and provide a clearer articulation of industry needs into the future,” Mr Yates said.

“It will also provide information on the support, training and tools available as well as vital updates on current legal, financial and scientifically proven methodology.”

A number of the fire monitoring tools to be discussed have been developed jointly by researchers at DCBR with fire managers from across Northern Australia.

DCBR senior research fellow Dr Peter Jacklyn said the North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information fire-monitoring website had been used effectively by fire managers involved in the Carbon Farming Initiative.

“By measuring the areas burnt in different seasons and by knowing the type of vegetation burnt, fire managers can estimate the accountable greenhouse gas emissions of fires on their land,” Dr Jacklyn said. “If fire managers have been effective in limiting the frequency of fires and emissions, these estimates can then be used to earn carbon credits.”
 
The CDU hosted event is being supported by the Northern Territory Government, the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Energy, the Indigenous Land Corporation and Arnhem Land Fire Abatement. For more information visit W: bushfiresresearch.wordpress.com/north-australian-savanna-fire-and-carbon-forum/