Balurga Station

Balurga Station is a Savanna Fire Management project located in the remote Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, approximately 70km northeast of the indigenous community of Kowanyama. The project was registered in August 2015 and covers a vast area of 116,848 hectares. The property operates as a pastoral lease, contributing to the region's primary land use of cattle grazing amidst the wild, open landscapes of the Gulf Savanna.

The project operates under the Early Dry Season Savanna Burning methodology. This involves conducting strategic, planned burns during the cooler "early dry" season (typically early in the year) to reduce fuel loads. By doing so, the project aims to prevent high-intensity, uncontrolled wildfires during the hot "late dry" season, which release significantly more greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.

Environmentally, the region is characterized by a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The landscape features Eucalypt woodlands and grasslands, supported by high seasonal rainfall during the summer monsoons and long, dry winters. Soils in this central Cape York region typically consist of sandy loams and lateritic earths, often associated with the alluvial plains of the Mitchell River catchment.

An interesting administrative note regarding this project is the change in proponent; originally managed by Country Carbon Pty. Ltd., the project proponent was varied to Terra Carbon Pty Limited in December 2022. Additionally, public records indicate that the Clean Energy Regulator accepted an Enforceable Undertaking from the original proponent, Country Carbon, in May 2020, highlighting the rigorous compliance environment surrounding these large-scale carbon projects.