Delbessie Ready

The Delbessie Agreement is a new arrangement of leasing land in Queensland.

Most grazing properties throughout the state are leased and the leases used to be renewed automatically every 30 years. The Queensland Government wants to reward good landholders by offering longer term leases to those who met environmental and social benchmarks.

In 2007, it signed an agreement with rural lobby group Agforce and the Australian Rainforest Conservation Society on a Hughenden property called Delbessie, cementing a new leasehold strategy.

Under the Delbessie Agreement, 40-year leases can be signed if the land is assessed as being in good condition. Fifty-year leases can be signed if the land is in good condition, has an Indigenous access and use agreement, and has a conservation or covenant. Thirty-year leases stay the same.

The Delbessie Agreement applies to properties over 100 hectares and for leases longer than 20 years.

Landholders are expected to monitor the condition of their property and report back to the Queensland Government. This means graziers who want longer leases will have to keep up-to-date records, plans and photos of their properties.

What it Means for Our Region

A significant area of our region’s rangelands is under leasehold and some of these properties have leases that are due for renewal in the next five years. NQ Dry Tropics will work with five grazing enterprises to help them achieve all the land and water management requirements under the Delbessie Agreement.

Also, NQ Dry Tropics will help increase knowledge and understanding of the Delbessie agreement by undertaking a series of workshops and activities throughout the Burdekin rangelands.

For a step by step guide to help you through the process see Being Delbessie Ready or call Rosie Sheather on 4722 5724.