Juunjuwarra Pilot Project

Pilot partner: Juunjuwarra Aboriginal Corporation is an Indigenous-led organisation representing Juunjuwarra Traditional Owners. They are working to protect and manage land and sea Country through environmental conservation, cultural restoration, ranger programs and preservation of traditional knowledge and language. 

ICBA partner: North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) 

Project name: Developing biodiversity and carbon methods for feral animal management in northern Australia. 

Description: Juunjuwarra Aboriginal Corporation is working with NAILSMA to establish a practical, Indigenous-led model for managing fire and feral animals, tracking environmental, cultural and social outcomes, and creating pathways into nature markets.

Where: Juunjuwarra Country, Far North Queensland, includes the Starcke River catchment and approximately 50,000 hectares of ecologically significant rainforest, savanna woodlands, wetlands, mangroves, springs, connecting to the Great Barrier Reef. 

Focus: The pilot will test a range of market pathways, including direct sales of biodiversity, cultural and social units, local offset opportunities, premium stacked carbon products, and high-value ethical meat markets linked to feral cattle management. 

What’s happening: A combination of fire, weed and feral animal management using aerial surveys, biodiversity monitoring and cultural surveys. The project will combine new baseline data with existing cultural observation and governance to support a standardised reporting framework and visualisation tool that tracks environmental, cultural and social values over time. Juunjuwarra’s online platform is scheduled for release this year and will, over time, provide users with an intimate, personal connection with clan and country. 

Impact: 

• Strengthening Indigenous-led whole-of-Country management and capacity building
• Building a strong evidence base for Indigenous-led management of feral animals so it can be recognised, valued and supported through new and emerging markets.
• Creating new nature market opportunities and pathways for ethical investment

 Timeframe: July 2025 – December 2026