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TNQ Drought Hub Spotlights North Queensland’s Drought Resilience Efforts at Beef Australia 2024

North Queensland’s drought resilience efforts have been spotlighted this week at Beef Australia 2024.

Beef Australia 2024, which kicked off on Monday and will run until Friday 10 May, brings together producers, researchers, and key stakeholders from across the beef sector to convene, collaborate, and address the opportunities and challenges shaping the industry’s future.

As a leading voice for drought resilience in North Queensland, the TNQ Drought Hub has been on the ground in Rockhampton this week actively showcasing the ongoing projects aimed at bolstering drought resilience in the region.

TNQ Drought Hub Director Professor David Phelps emphasised the importance of events like Beef Australia in facilitating knowledge exchange and ensuring North Queensland’s perspectives are well-represented.

“Beef Australia provides an invaluable opportunity for the TNQ Drought Hub to share insights, collaborate with industry experts, and broaden our perspectives to improve our efforts in North Queensland,” said Professor Phelps.

Director David Phelps at Beef Australia 2024

“Given the unique challenges faced by farmers and producers in the north, it is important to amplify their voices and viewpoints at industry gatherings like this.”

In conjunction with Beef Australia 2024, today marked a pivotal moment as the Federal Government unveiled plans to allocate over $500 million over the next eight years in a bid to increase climate resilience and assist farmers and regional communities to prepare for the next drought.

Anthony Albanese attended Beef Week today to announce the funding for the Future Drought Fund, which aims to provide secure, continuous funding for drought resilience initiatives in next week’s budget.

Professor Phelps applauded the funding allocation, affirming it as a substantial commitment from the Federal Government to tackle the challenges posed by drought in regional and rural communities.

He also expressed optimism about the forthcoming budget’s allocation for the eight Hubs, with specifics being announced on Tuesday.

“As one of the eight Hubs across Australia funded under the Future Drought Hub’s Best Practice focus, this commitment guarantees the continuity of endeavours aimed at addressing these challenges and opportunities in North Queensland,” said Professor Phelps.

“It ensures continued investment in programs that support and deliver drought preparedness across the country and enables us to continue to ensure North Queensland communities are equipped to withstand the challenges posed by drought.

“National cooperation truly is crucial to building drought resilience across Australia.”

Today Professor Phelps also presented to a diverse cohort of attendees and discussed the collaborative efforts of the eight Hubs across Australia in enhancing drought resilience and climate adaptation.

As part of this, he highlighted specific initiatives in North Queensland, including the Agscent cattle pregnancy breath-testing trials conducted at both Fletcherview Station near Charters Towers and Olga Downs Station near Richmond last year.

These trials tested the effectiveness of a breath-based pregnancy testing method to see if it could withstand North Queensland’s unique cattle and conditions, offering a significant advancement for local producers in their drought preparedness. 

“Beef Australia has provided us with an invaluable platform to showcase the innovative strategies and solutions driving drought resilience in our region,” added Professor Phelps.

“At its core, events like Beef Australia serve as a pathway for exploring collaborative efforts and fostering fresh ideas. This enables us to bring innovative concepts back to our region to better support landholders and farmers, ensuring no one is left behind when it comes to drought-preparedness.”