Southwell Station

Southwell Station is a Savanna Fire Management project located on the western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. Situated approximately 200km east of Pormpuraaw and encompassing the Holroyd and Edward River systems, the station operates as a cattle grazing property. The project was registered in July 2014 and covers a vast area of approximately 145,914 hectares.

The project operates under the Savanna Fire Management methodology, specifically focusing on emissions abatement in the high rainfall zone. This method involves conducting strategic, planned burns during the early dry season (typically cooler and moister conditions) to reduce the fuel load. This practice mitigates the risk and intensity of late dry season wildfires, thereby avoiding the significant release of methane and nitrous oxide that uncontrolled hot fires would otherwise generate.

The region is characterized by a tropical monsoonal climate falling within the high rainfall classification (receiving over 1000mm annually), with distinct wet and dry seasons. The landscape features tropical savanna vegetation, and while specific soil data for the station is variable, the surrounding western Cape York region typically consists of sandy red earths in the interfluves and alluvial clay soils along the river floodplains.

The project is undertaken by Terra Carbon Pty Limited, which was formerly known as Country Carbon Pty Ltd prior to a name variation in 2022. The station itself is family-operated, running approximately 1,500 head of cattle, and the carbon project is integrated into the property's land management alongside grazing and minor tourism activities.