Building climate-resilient rangelands in the Einasleigh Uplands
Landholders in the Einasleigh Uplands, a nationally recognised biodiversity hotspot in the north-west Burdekin Dry Tropics, are facing ongoing challenges from pests, weeds, wildfires, and unmanaged grazing — all of which reduce landscape resilience and increase vulnerability to climate change.
The Climate-Resilient Rangelands project will work alongside these landholders to tackle these issues at a landscape scale.
Building on nearly a decade of experience, the project supports graziers around Charters Towers in the Upper Burdekin to improve the condition of rangelands, softwood scrubs, and wetlands.
Through targeted actions like weed and feral animal control, controlled burns, firebreak maintenance, and best-practice grazing management, the project aims to help landholders protect and strengthen their land, making it more productive, healthy, and resilient to a changing climate.
NQ Dry Tropics recently carried out aerial surveys to review and ground-truth past project sites, while also identifying and prioritising sites for future work. The project provides a chance to strengthen existing cluster groups, helping them expand improvements in land and vegetation condition efficiently and cost-effectively.
On-ground actions and support
Participating landholders will lead a significant portion of the works, formalised through Land Management Agreements, with NQ Dry Tropics staff assisting in benchmarking, monitoring, and evaluation. When required, subcontractors or NQ Dry Tropics suppliers deliver additional services, including fencing, off-stream watering points, herbicide control, mechanical works, and fire management.
The project also offers opportunities for collaboration through ecological fire management initiatives, regional pest management strategies, and the Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS) project, which helps landholders establish baseline land condition assessments and access support for sediment reduction actions.
Landholders will also benefit from access to the NQ Dry Tropics and DPI Grazing extension teams, which provide technical advice, economic analysis, and on-farm support to trial new practices.
The project will work closely with landholders and regional partners to ensure outcomes are sustainable and landscape-wide. Eight properties have confirmed participation.
Through collaboration, technical guidance, and targeted support, the Climate-Resilient Rangelands project is transforming landscapes, strengthening resilience, and creating healthier habitats across the Einasleigh Uplands.
Two other NQ Dry Tropics projects rolling out under the NRM Expansion Program are: Fighting Invasive Species Together and Climate Ready Coastlines.
The Climate-Resilient Rangelands project is delivered by NQ Dry Tropics through funding from the Queensland Government’s Natural Resource Management Expansion Program.
