Glen Russell Station

Glen Russell Station is a Savanna Fire Management project located at Glen Russell, approximately 30km west-northwest of Mareeba and 95km west of Cairns in Far North Queensland. It was registered in July 2015 and covers an area of 27,558.09 hectares.

Savanna fire management projects involve the strategic, planned burning of savanna landscapes during the early dry season. By introducing mild, controlled fires when the vegetation is still relatively moist and weather conditions are cooler, the practice significantly reduces the risk, intensity, and spread of devastating late dry season wildfires. A standard requirement of this methodology is calculating the avoided greenhouse gas emissions using an approved computational framework; for this project, the SavBAT 2.2 (Savanna Burning Abatement Tool) model is used to estimate the carbon abatement.

The Glen Russell and wider Mareeba Shire region is traditionally known for cattle grazing on native vegetation. Located within a transitional climate zone, the project encompasses both high and low rainfall savanna classifications. The tropical savanna environment here typically features well-drained sandy loam and clay loam soils over rocky substrates.

Originally established by Country Carbon Pty Ltd, the proponent role was transferred to Terra Carbon Pty Limited in May 2022. Terra Carbon Pty Limited is notably a subsidiary of GreenCollar, one of Australia's largest environmental market investors and project developers. The Clean Energy Regulator register also notes an enforceable undertaking from Country Carbon Pty Ltd that took effect in May 2020, and a project variation in May 2021 where certain land sections were removed. Interestingly, Glen Russell Station sits directly on the historic Hodgkinson Minerals Area, which experienced a massive gold rush in the 1870s, and the station is still occasionally visited by recreational gold prospectors today.