Improving land management practices is key to long-term productivity and ecological resilience. On 7 August 2025, Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) staff and Kabi Kabi People’s Aboriginal Corporation (KKPAC) rangers conducted a cool burn across a 15-hectare area of subtropical eucalypt floodplain forest on a grazing property along the Mary River near St Mary.
Cool burns are low-intensity fires that reduce fuel loads, improve pasture quality, promote native vegetation growth, and help prevent damaging high-intensity wildfires. In addition to the ecological benefits, this method continues thousands of years of Indigenous knowledge in land stewardship.
Preparation for the cool burn was thorough, with fire permits obtained, firebreaks constructed, and two days of site preparation completed to protect mature trees and infrastructure. The burn was carried out in mild afternoon conditions, continuing to burn into the evening before the heavy dew set in.
BMRG and KKPAC will continue to collaborate on ongoing burns and monitor the property’s response, demonstrating how combining traditional and contemporary practices can deliver positive outcomes for both agriculture and conservation.
The project aims to conserve Subtropical Eucalypt Floodplain Forests, a Threatened Ecological Community. Funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust, it is being delivered by BMRG, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.