Fairlight Station

Fairlight Station is a savanna fire management carbon project located approximately 70km west of Laura and 320km north of Mareeba in Far North Queensland. It was registered in September 2014 and covers a vast 104,975.96 hectares.

Savanna fire management projects involve conducting strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season. By managing fuel loads early in the year, the methodology aims to reduce the risk, extent, and intensity of late dry season wildfires, thereby reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

The Cape York Peninsula area is well known for large-scale cattle grazing and beef breeding operations. The local environment is classified as a high rainfall savanna zone. The landscape is heavily timbered with ironbark, bloodwood, and tea tree, while soil types on the property range from loam on the river and creek flats to yellow clay, red-brown ridge soils, and some sandy soils to the north.

The project was originally managed under a 2013 methodology determination before updating to the 2015 Emissions Abatement through Savanna Fire Management methodology in early 2017. The proponent for the project was officially changed from Country Carbon Pty Ltd to Terra Carbon Pty Limited in May 2022. Interestingly, the cattle station hosting the project was highly sought after and sold in early 2024 for over $8 million to a prominent Charters Towers family following an auction that attracted 13 registered bidders. The 25-year carbon agreement tied to the property remains in place, providing a significant long-term secondary income stream alongside the property's traditional grazing operations.