Artemis Station

Artemis Station is a Savanna Fire Management project located in the heart of the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, approximately 15km south of the Musgrave Roadhouse and 100km north of Laura. Registered in August 2014, the project spans a vast 124,669 hectares. The surrounding region is remote and primarily utilized for cattle grazing and conservation. Artemis Station itself is a working cattle property that has become a prominent example of integrating pastoralism with land stewardship.

The project operates under the Savanna Fire Management (Emissions Abatement) methodology. This involves conducting strategic "cool burns" during the early dry season (typically January to July) to reduce vegetation fuel loads. By managing fire in this way, the project prevents the occurrence of large-scale, high-intensity wildfires during the late dry season, which release significantly more greenhouse gases. The project is situated in the high rainfall zone of the tropical savanna, a landscape characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. The terrain features open woodlands and grasslands on predominantly impoverished, sandy soils, which are famous for hosting the termite mounds essential to local biodiversity.

A unique and significant aspect of this project is its critical role in the conservation of the endangered Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius). Artemis Station is considered the last stronghold for this species. The fire management practices employed to generate carbon credits also serve to restore the open grassland habitat the parrots require, preventing woody thickening (encroachment by tea-trees) that otherwise provides cover for predators. The project has attracted corporate support, with ANZ Bank purchasing Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) from Artemis to offset its own emissions while supporting these biodiversity co-benefits.