Lessons from the Collinsville region network trial
Glenalpine
Dartmoor
Strathalbyn
Click on any of the case studies to read them online, or download a PDF.
NQ Dry Tropics partnered with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) to deliver producer demonstration sites to fast-track the uptake of practices that boost productivity and profitability.
The Collinsville Region Regenerative Grazier Network Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) included three properties to trial regenerative grazing in different environments and commercial setups.
The five-year PDS project aimed to support graziers in the Bowen-Broken-Bogie catchment to build on their existing efforts and refine their grazing practices, while also sharing practical insights with graziers across the broader Burdekin Dry Tropics region.
The PDS was established under the Burdekin Major Integrated Project (BMIP) and is also known as the Landholders Driving Change (LDC) project, funded by the Queensland Government.
With a few years to run on the five-year regenerative grazier network PDS, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation committed to ongoing support. The PDS wrapped up earlier this year.
The Collinsville Regional Regenerative Grazier Network Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) was funded by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program, and by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Science says regenerative grazing shows promise, but patience is the key
Regenerative grazing, usually involving rotational grazing with planned rest periods, is gaining traction as a smart, profitable way to boost landscape health. But when it comes to hard data, especially for northern Australia, there hasn’t been much to go on.
To help fill that gap, a recent CSIRO study looked at properties in Queensland’s Burdekin catchment that have been using regenerative grazing for five to 20 years. These were compared with nearby sites still using traditional set-stocking, and with areas where grazing had been excluded for around 30 years.
The findings showed that regenerative grazing can improve vegetation, soil, and overall land condition, but it’s a long game.
You may start seeing results after three to five years, but more noticeable, statistically significant improvements could take up to 15 or even 20 years, especially in places that started pretty degraded.
Read the report:
