POLITICS:
AGRICULTURAL minister Bill Byrne has called on drought committees in the east of the state to come together to recommend whether more shires should be drought declared.
Mr Byrne has been in talks with the Banana Shire Council about its current situation, with a large amount of the region suffering but not fully drought declared.
“Much of the shire is already declared and I am asking for a recommendation from the Local Drought Committee about the remainder of the shire,” he said.
Council’s chief executive officer Ray Geraghty said the region was struggling, with permits for roadside grazing “flying in at the moment”.
“There’s just not enough feed around,” he said.
“It is pretty tough at the moment and if that drought declaration can happen for the rest of the shire, that would be of benefit.”
On Saturday, the Bundaberg region was declared to be in drought, after a local drought committee meeting was called early.
The Banana shire was the only one highlighted by Mr Byrne outside of the south east, with the Scenic Rim, Gympie, South Burnett, Cherbourg, Fraser Coast, Lockyer Valley, Morton Bay and Sunshine Coast committees also urged to meet early.
Local drought committees usually meet once a year, at the end of the wet season in April and the minister normally announces declarations and revocations in late April or early May.
The threshold for a drought declaration is generally a once in 10 to 15 year rainfall deficiency.
AgForce general president Grant Maudsley said he hoped the move would “motivate” the local communities.
“It’s actually extraordinarily hard to describe what is happening in Queensland at the moment, except that it’s incredibly patchy,” he said.
Drought declared producers are able to access DRAS fodder and water freight subsidies and emergency water infrastructure rebates.
The total area of Queensland currently drought declared is 84.29 per cent.
THANGOOL:
HOLDING onto the genetics they have been building for 30 years, Moreen Levin and Paul Johnston, Clearview, Thangool, are desperately trying to retain what is left of their herd.
Their 345 hectares once held 80 breeders and a Droughtmaster stud, but now only 45 breeders remain. The steers have been sold, and the weaners are being separated from the cows months before they should.
The area is not drought declared, yet Mr Johnston said in the 25 years he has owned the property, he has never felt this level of “devastating, dry despair”.
“Prior to Saturday night we’d only had half an inch of rain for this year, and that took four falls to get,” he said.
“We got 23mm on Saturday night, but then we go and get the heat and strong wind afterwards which dries it up and burns anything that grows.”
The couple have culled the herd as much as they can, and said if conditions don’t improve, their only option will be the destock completely.
Mr Johnston said the last weaners he sold were one year’s worth of land payments, but he was forced to put the money into feed.
“I had to make a decision - do I feed my breeding stock, or do I sell everything,” he said.
Mr Johnston and Ms Levin attempted to apply for an Individually Droughted Property declaration, but with limited connectivity, found the process difficult.
Ms Levin said even if they did make the “heartbreaking” decision to destock, the cows and calves are not worth enough.
“If we lost this lot, that’s 30 years of hard work going down the drain,” she said.
Ms Levin said the couple were lucky to both have off-farm jobs, and said that income was keeping them afloat, but concessions available if drought declared would help.
ROADSIDE GRAZING:
A ROADSIDE grazing fee of $2 per head, per week to graze on the roadside in the Banana shire is causing issues with local graziers, who said the fee is unfair.
Without a drought declaration, Thangool graziers are unable to receive concessions awarded to those declared.
Peter Breitkreutz, Clear-View, Thangool, is running more than 200 head of commercial and stud cattle over 600ha, and said he is relying on supplementary feeding to keep his stock alive.
“I’m trying to hold on to my breeders, otherwise I might as well go to the beach,” Mr Breitkreutz said.
“If we could use that road without any hiccups that would help.
“But they want us to pay $2 per head per week, but I might only be home three days a week because I’m out mustering for everyone else.”
Mr Breitkreutz is not alone. Paul Johnston and Moreen Levin, Clearview, Thangool, are also struggling to come to terms with the fee, which they said does not take into consideration that in most areas, the grass on the roadside would not last for a week with cattle on it.
Banana Shire Council CEO Ray Geraghty said property owners can apply for an Independent Property Drought Declaration to be eligible for the concession, which drops the price to $1.10 per head.
“With any concession, drought declaration is a critical issue,” he said.
Thangool is one of the regions likely to be reconsidered for drought declaration.