Watson River Station

Watson River Station is a Savanna Fire Management project located on the Cape York Peninsula, approximately 140km by road (or 75km by air) south-east of Weipa in Far North Queensland. It was registered in August 2015 and covers an extensive area of 89,379.39 hectares.

Savanna Fire Management projects involve the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season (typically January to July). This methodology is designed to decrease the size, intensity, and frequency of unmanaged, late dry season wildfires. By shifting the burning to the cooler early dry season, the project reduces the net emission of greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide, and can also increase the carbon stored in dead organic matter. To meet standard requirements, these projects must operate within designated high-rainfall zones in northern Australia and maintain their fire management practices over a strict permanence period of either 25 or 100 years.

The Cape York region experiences a monsoonal climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The Watson River Station area is classified as a high rainfall zone, receiving a reliable 1,500mm to 1,600mm of precipitation annually. The local environment features a mix of sandy and clay soils on forest country, which are noted for being acutely deficient in phosphorus. The predominant land use in this region is extensive cattle grazing, operating alongside nature conservation and Aboriginal freehold lands.

Interestingly, after 35 years of ownership by the Quartermaine family, the Watson River property was purchased in 2022 for $12 million by Corporate Carbon's agricultural arm, Paniri Agricultural Co. The acquisition was made to integrate the property's ongoing Brahman cattle enterprise with expanded carbon farming operations, and the previous owners' son and daughter-in-law were retained as regional managers. The project transitioned methodologies via a method variation in 2017. Additionally, improved fire management at the station provides significant environmental co-benefits, including the protection of the nearby Aurukun wetlands, which the Watson River flows into, serving as a critical habitat for endemic species such as the Palm Cockatoo and the Magnificent Rifle Bird.