Lane taking the big dry in his stride
AS LARGE parts of the state struggle through another year of crippling drought, it’s almost business as usual for North Queensland cattle property owner Russell Lane.
It’s dry on Mr Lane’s farm Meadowbank, a 7000ha grazing property nestled at the foot of Herveys Range west of Townsville, but no more than is usual for this time of the year.
Mr Lane only owns about 30 cattle himself. The other 300- odd belong to local cattle owner Dan Standford, who runs his animals through the usable parts of Mr Lane’s land.
“Only about 3500ha is in use this side of the Black River because beyond that it’s too difficult with the scrub, you’d have to get up there and find all the cows,” Mr Lane said.
The pair is spending a warm afternoon branding the calves from their most recent muster, the second of about three annually. They work quickly and quietly together to move through as many calves as possible without causing the animals stress.
Soon a large mass of calves are grouped at one of the paddocks near the farm house munching on stray green shoots among the dry, yellow landscape.
Mr Lane said the dry weather hadn’t significantly impacted his small operation.
“It’s always dry up here this time of the year, so the green has held on reasonably well, considering,” he said.
Mr Lane said he believed the protracted drought had seen some property owners holding on to stock numbers too long, hoping for rain that was yet to arrive.
“You de- stock it early, if you see it’s not going to rain, you say, ‘ ok we’ll cut down the numbers’,” he said. “I think a lot of farmers have done that but for some holding on has been a bit of a lost cause.”
Mr Lane has operated Meadowbank since his father, who came to the property in about 1969, died in 2004.
“It just came down to me because there’s no one else,” he said. “I’ll go until I drop.” In October last year, Mr Lane almost missed voting in the Queensland state election because he was held up pulling a dead calf out of one of his cows.
“I went around and I just happened to see the white ( cow) sitting there and I thought, ‘ she shouldn’t be on her own, because they’re usually in a mob’,” he said. “So I went up behind her and I could see half the calf sticking out, and I thought ‘ something not good’s happened here’.”
Mr Lane removed the calf and made it to the ballot box 10 minutes before it closed. “I normally get there late so I don’t have to wait in line … but that day I was trying to get that calf turned around, I was up to here in cow and I still made it in time to vote,” he said.
Mr Lane isn’t optimistic about the state of Australian politics.
“It’s just a mess, and it’s going to get worse and it’s not going to get better,” he said.
One issue he would like politicians to tackle was providing more mental health support for farmers.
“Mental health help would be good,” he said.
Mr Lane said people in the city “wouldn’t have a clue” about the work that went into producing their food. “I just think it would be good if more people had an idea of what goes on. It’s important to have an understanding,” he said.
Calves and cattle make up about 27 per cent of what Queensland produces, making it the largest agricultural sector in the state.
The Queensland Government’s State of Agriculture Report 2018 found the value of meat production had been increasing at an annual average rate of nearly 6 per cent over the past decade, indicating a “positive” outlook for the industry.
Access to water was crucial to ensure the continued success of the industry.
The report also noted that while most current water supplies in the state were fully allocated, there was “considerable scope” for expanding water supplies through bulk water infrastructure and individual property initiatives, particularly in the North.
“There is a significant amount of land in North Queensland available for grazing but only with additional investment in watering points accessible to grazing cattle,” the report said.
In May the State Government revoked the drought declarations for 11 regional areas in Queensland, including Townsville and parts of Charters Towers.
Opposition agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said that decision, made heading into a dry season, had been a mistake.
“This was a complete miscalculation given the reports we are hearing on the ground about the intensification of the drought in Queensland,” he said.
Currently, about 57.4 per cent of Queensland is drought declared. The LNP has called on the State Government to reconvene local drought com- mittees to develop a “clearer picture” of the scale of the drought in Queensland.
Last month, Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Turner announced an independent expert panel would conduct a review of Queensland’s Drought Program to improve resilience and assistance for farmers in future droughts.
“Droughts are a part of life in Queensland and our producers are very experienced with the big droughts and the big floods that often end them,” he said.
“However even the most resilient and well- prepared producer and their community can struggle in a crippling and prolonged drought such as this one.”
Mr Turner appointed Ruth Wade, former chief executive of the Queensland Farmers Federation, and Charles Burke, former chief executive of AgForce Queensland, to run the review.
“The panel will hold forums in six regional centres and will seek written submissions through the drought program review website throughout September and October 2018,” he said.
The expert panel will present its recommendations to the State Government in early 2019.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has announced a raft of drought assistance measures including a $ 22 million fund for Queensland councils to spend on projects in drought stricken areas.
AgForce Queensland CEO Michael Guerin said the additional measures would help agricultural communities better deal with future events.
“Parts of western and southern Queensland have been in drought for more than six years, which has overwhelmed even the best efforts of many producers to prepare,” he said.
“While the lack of rain is taking its toll in many areas, farmers are strong and resilient, and agriculture has a bright future as Australia’s fastest- growing industry.”
IT’S ALWAYS DRY UP HERE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, SO THE GREEN HAS HELD ON REASONABLY WELL CONSIDERING. RUSSELL LANE