Strathburn Station

Strathburn Station is a Savanna Fire Management project located in the heart of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. The vast 246,564 hectare property is situated approximately 130km northwest of the Musgrave Roadhouse and roughly 500km northwest of Mareeba. Registered in December 2014, the project operates on a large-scale cattle breeding station that also functions as a biodiversity haven and safari destination. The region is primarily dedicated to extensive cattle grazing and conservation, characterized by its remote wilderness and lack of dense population.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Emissions Abatement through Savanna Fire Management) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology involves the strategic implementation of cool, planned burns during the early dry season (typically before August) to reduce the fuel load. By doing so, the project aims to prevent high-intensity, uncontrollable wildfires that occur in the late dry season, which release significantly more greenhouse gases. As the project is located in a high rainfall zone (receiving more than 1000mm annually), it must adhere to strict baseline periods and burning protocols to calculate abatement.

Environmentally, Strathburn Station experiences a distinct monsoonal climate with a high average rainfall of 1100mm to 1200mm, heavily concentrated in the wet season between December and March. The landscape is defined by the Holroyd, Pretender, and Edward river systems, featuring countless waterholes and extensive ephemeral wetlands. The soil composition is typical of the Cape York Peninsula, consisting largely of Kandosols (red earths) and sandy loams in the grazing areas, with Hydrosols dominating the wetland regions that become saturated during the monsoon.

An interesting facet of this project is its dual focus on production and conservation; the property is owned by prominent economist Rory Robertson and markets itself as perhaps the most biodiverse non-coastal property in Queensland. In addition to carbon farming and breeding Brahman cattle, the station runs safari operations for hunting wild boars and barramundi fishing, leveraging its "untouched" wilderness appeal.