Crystalvale Station

Crystalvale Station is a savanna fire management carbon project located on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, approximately 40km southwest of Coen. It was registered in January 2018 and originally covered 89,788.49 hectares, though the project area was subdivided in April 2026 under section 23 of the CFI Rule. The surrounding Cape York region is traditionally utilized for extensive cattle grazing and, increasingly, large-scale ecological conservation. Crystalvale Station continues to run sustainable cattle operations alongside its carbon farming and biodiversity efforts.

Savanna fire management projects involve the strategic, planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season. This methodology requires establishing a patchy mosaic of burnt and unburnt land to reduce the available fuel load. This practice significantly lowers the risk of catastrophic, high-intensity wildfires later in the dry season, thereby preventing large quantities of greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, from being emitted into the atmosphere.

The project area falls within a high rainfall climate classification, driven by highly seasonal monsoonal conditions that typically deliver a median annual rainfall of over 1,100mm during the wet season. The region's environmental profile features diverse terrain, including river and creek frontages defined by black soil plains, which transition into mixed loams and sandy forest soils across the surrounding ridges and hills.

In addition to carbon abatement, this project is notable for its substantial ecological and cultural co-benefits. In 2024, Crystalvale Station was officially declared a Nature Refuge by the Queensland Government. It connects with the neighboring Holroyd and Yarraden nature refuges to form a continuous 500,000-hectare ecological corridor, protecting habitats for threatened species such as the Cape York Rock Wallaby, Red Goshawk, and Cooktown Orchid. Furthermore, the project utilizes traditional owner-informed fire practices and has implemented buffer zones to protect culturally significant trees and sites mapped by local native title holders. In late 2024, the project proponent was updated from Country Carbon Pty Ltd to Umlilo Holdings Pty Ltd as trustee for CC Stage 3 Agricultural Trust.