CORBIN Breckell has turned what started as a school project reflecting his Aboriginal heritage into a business idea that has been celebrated for its innovation.
The St Columba's Primary Adamstown year six student, 11, is part of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office's gifted education Virtual Academy online program, which included a research project.
"Since there were a lot of big bushfires that happened a couple of years back and they damaged a lot of homes and wildlife I thought something needed to stop them," Corbin said.
His ancestors are from the Wailwan, Kamilaroi and Guringai tribes and he started investigating the Aboriginal practice of cultural burning, which is lighting controlled fires to prevent the bush from becoming overgrown and fuelling larger uncontrolled fires.
Corbin said controlled fires included cool fires, which burn at a lower temperature, have lower flames and move more slowly.
They are often lit at night or in the early morning and don't destroy seeds or roots.
"It will help prevent homes around bush areas being damaged and less wildlife species will be endangered and Aboriginal sacred spaces will not get burned down in big bushfires," he said.
He said in his project that Aboriginal people could provide invaluable help managing the bush through cultural burning. He said 500,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided in one year if this was allowed.
He said they knew when to burn. Chemical weedkillers would not be necessary.
"There will be less greenhouse gas emissions so climate change would slow down a lot and more Aboriginal people trying to find a job will have more job opportunities," he said.
Corbin also came up with the idea for a business called Cool Fire, which involves children aged eight and above attending cultural burning workshops and lighting fires in a safe and controlled way.
Some profits would be donated to the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, which aims to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the West Arnhem Land Plateau.
"[It would be good to have] a larger community trying to convince the head leaders of the country to allow cultural burning, because a lot of people don't know about it," he said.
Corbin entered the idea in the under 13 category of the Hunter Young Business Mind Awards and was named runner up. He received $500 and an offer of mentoring.
"I was really surprised, I did not think I would get runner up - I was speechless," he said.
Corbin hasn't yet decided what he wants to do after school.
"But I want to be like Jeff Bezos," he said.
"I think he's cool. He has a very successful business and he's known worldwide."
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