Violet Vale Station

Violet Vale Station is a Savanna Fire Management project located in the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, situated approximately 10km east-northeast of the Musgrave Roadhouse and 117km south-southeast of the township of Coen. Registered in June 2016, the project covers a vast area of approximately 70,190 hectares. The station is positioned on the border between Bakanh and Lamalama country, adjacent to the Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park.

The project operates under the "Emissions Abatement through Savanna Fire Management" methodology. This involves conducting strategic, planned burns during the early dry season (typically January to July) when conditions are cooler and vegetation retains moisture. These controlled fires reduce the fuel load, thereby preventing large-scale, high-intensity wildfires during the late dry season (August to December), which release significantly more greenhouse gases. Unlike tree planting projects, this methodology does not focus on stocking density but rather on the timing and seasonality of fire management to mitigate methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

The region is characterized as a high rainfall zone within the tropical savanna climate of Cape York. The land use is primarily cattle grazing, though the station also contains significant conservation assets. The soil composition in this part of the peninsula is dominated by Kandosols (red, yellow, and grey earths) and Dermosols, which support the Eucalypt open forests and woodlands essential for this fire management method.

An interesting aspect of Violet Vale Station is its dedication to conservation alongside carbon abatement. The property contains approximately 1,896 hectares of wetlands listed as having National Significance. In 2015, a large-scale fencing project was completed to exclude feral animals and cattle from these sensitive wetland areas. Additionally, the project holds a carbon abatement contract with the Australian Government, secured during the November 2016 auction.