barklybarkly beefbeef Published by the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries in Tennant Creek. ISSN 1325-9539 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3 JUNE 2001

A range of topics covered by the course is delivered by a selection of both the Department DPIF Course of Primary Industry and Fisheries (Tennant Creek) and the Department of Lands Planning Honoured at and Environment presenters. These topics include, plant identification principles and pasture dynamics, pasture monitoring, weed and Landcare poisonous plant management, and beef cattle nutritional requirements and associated supplementation strategies. All information is Awards based on local research and experience.

The evening of Saturday the 15th September Congratulations to Helen Springs Station, 2001 saw the Northern Territory Landcare Stanbroke Pastoral Company for also receiving a Australia Awards being held at the Merit Award for Fire Management. Golf Club. A good cross-section of people from across the Territory attended and witnessed the For more information regarding the Barkly presentation of a Merit Award in the Education Rangeland Management Course please contact: Category to the Tennant Creek Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries for the Barkly Chris Materne Rangeland Management Course. Jono Peart Regional Rangeland Management Officer proudly received the award on behalf of the DPIF - Tennant Creek course presenters. Ph 08 8962 4492 Fax 08 8962 4480 The Barkly Rangeland Management Course was E-mail [email protected] initially developed in 1999 through National Heritage Trust (NHT) funding and is designed for employees of the pastoral industry in the Barkly region. The course aims to increase the participants’ knowledge and understanding of the natural resources in their care, and to stimulate their interest in pasture monitoring when making land management decisions.

Hon. Peter Toyne, Bryan Walsh & Jono Peart Fires in the district have been as bad as we hoped they wouldn’t be, at least in some areas and there A is a smoke haze all the way from Alice Springs to word Darwin. Some of the fires in the red country have from the been extremely intense, destroying everything in Director their path and there was a tragic incident at Kurundi when one of their employees was caught in a fire.

On a happier note congratulations go to Helen Springs Station for receiving a Merit Certificate at the recent Landcare Awards for their work on fire management. DPIF was also pleased to receive a Merit Certificate for our Barkly Rangeland Management Course.

I recently met with the Hon Dr Peter Toyne MLA, the new Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, who is interested to see the work of DPIF in the region continue. There is the added advantage that he also holds the portfolio for Regional Development and is keen to progress development in our region.

I have been involved in some work going on in the background looking at the possibilities of establishing large scale horticultural ventures in the Barkly Region, similar to that at Ti Tree. The region has suitable soils and water and Department of Lands Planning and Environment are continuing to investigate these. Possible crops are being investigated, however they will need to fill a niche in the markets in order to be viable eg mature earlier than other areas. Agencies such as the Power & Water Authority and Transport & Works are also involved to provide advice on necessary infrastructure.

Applications for the 2002 Rural Women’s Award close on October 15th so if you know a worthy recipient encourage her to apply or do so on her behalf. Jenny Purdie Regional Director Also in this issue…. DPIF - Tennant Creek Page Ph 08 8962 4485 Fax 08 8962 4480 3 RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2002 E-mail [email protected] Macca’s Corner 4 Northern Australia Beef Industry Conference 5 Accommodation Options – Beef Industry Conference 6 Living with “1080” 7 Work Experience at the DPIF in Katherine & Tennant Creek 10 Barkly Landcare & Conservation Association Project on Track

John O’Kane with Roy Chisholm after receiving a Merit Award for Fire Management barkly beef September 2001 2 RIRDC RURAL WOMEN’S AWARD 2002

Promoting Women in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award 2002 is now open for applications. The award supports women with a strong positive vision for the future of rural Australia and is open to all women involved in agriculture, including forestry & fisheries, natural resource management and related service industries.

The award comes with a $20,000 bursary for the Northern Territory winner, to assist her fulfill her personal vision for agriculture, through efforts that build leadership, business and management skills, so that she has the capacity to play a greater role in the future of rural Australia.

Previous winners have used their bursaries for Macca’s Corner! activities such as an overseas trip to investigate the potential for new or value added markets, to establish quality assurance and formal training programs for their industry and to diversify, value add and better utilize the byproducts of their industry.

The NT winner, and up to two finalists, will participate in a three-day National Leadership Seminar, an intensive leadership and training skills development program.

Application forms are available from the Tennant Creek Office of the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries or can be downloaded from the Internet at www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au. Rural women may nominate themselves, or alternatively, if any of you know of a deserving rural woman you may nominate her. Remember that this award is for a forward vision, not a past performance. Applications close on 15th October 2001.

barkly beef September 2001 3 DEPARTMENT OF

NORTHERN AUSTRALIA BEEF INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

8-9 November 2001 - Kununurra WA

The Northern Australia Beef Industry Conference (NABIC) promises to cap another year of exceptional industry performance. The conference will bring together delegates from the production, R&D, extension and training sectors of the industry.

Speakers at the Conference will include:

Producers and Land Managers: Tom Stockwell – NABRC, Steve Petty – Heytesbury, Jim and Noleen Metyard – Pentland, Hugh Barnet – Balmoral Stations, Ashley and Margaret House – Aramac, Carey Paterson – Pilbara Livestock Depot, Bev Pedracini – Collinsville

Researchers and Extension Officers: Mick Quirk – grazing land management, Peter Ridley – beef marketing descriptors, Rodd Dyer – sustainable grazing, Hugh Pringle – sustainable grazing practices, Felicity Hill – Live Export Link, John Taylor – Rangelands Australia, Alaric Fisher – monitoring biodiversity, Bob Nickels – supply chains, David Inall – Livecorp

The conference will:

• Promote the Northern Australia beef and live cattle industries. • Link land management to improved production and market benefits. • Provide a forum for the latest research and extension information on the Northern Australia beef and live cattle industries • Examine the forces that are, and will shape the direction of the beef industry and rangeland use in Northern Australia.

If you are interested in the future prosperity of the northern Australian beef and live export industries plan to be in Kununurra for the 8-9 November 2001.

Further Information: Kaz Price – WA Dept of Agriculture, Derby – (08) 9191 0326.

**Please note a further accommodation option (missed from the brochure) – Rooms from $85 at Lakeside Resort – (08) 9169 1092 (about 3 km from conference venue) or book through the Kununurra Tourist Bureau on (08) 9168 1177 barkly beef September 2001 4

barkly beef September 2001 5

Accommodation Options  Cost:Cost:Cost: Country Club Hotel $120.00 per person, includes Coolibah Drv (next door to Conference venue) forum registration, two lunches, Ph 08 9168 1024 Cost from $160 dinner, and morning and Mercure Inn afternoon teas. Victoria Hwy (1km to Conference venue)  Early Bird Registration: Ph 08 9168 1455 Cost from $160 To help us with organising we Lakeview Apartments are offering an “early bird” Victoria Hwy (1km to Conference venue) registration incentive. Book by Ph 08 9168 0000 Cost from $150 12th October at $90.00 per Hotel Kununurra person, and go into the draw for Messmate Way (100 metres to Conference venue) one of three bottles of Ph 08 9168 1344 Cost from $40 Kununurra’s own rum - Duncan House B&B “Canefire”. Coolibah Drv (300 metres to Conference venue)  Further Information: Ph 08 9168 2436 Cost from $105 Please telephone Kaz Price at Ivanhoe Tourist Village the (400 metres - venue) WA Department of Agriculture Ph 08 9169 1995 Cabins from $65 District Office, Derby on Kimberley Holiday Park (08) 9191 0326 or (1 km to venue) Email: Ph 08 9168 1280 Cabins from $95 [email protected] Town Caravan Park Forum Registration (200 metres to venue) Ph 08 9168 1763 Villas from $105 Enclosed is my cheque for Hidden Valley Caravan Park $………………… (1 km to venue) Payable to: WA Department of Agriculture Ph 08 9168 1790 Park homes $93.50 $90.00 / person until Friday 12th Oct Kona Lakeside Tourist Park th (2 kms to venue) $120.00 / person on or after Monday 15 Ph 08 9168 1031 Cabins from $55 Oct For more information on accommodation Optional Wyndham/Lake Argyle tour :- and services phone:- $50 (includes lunch and smokos) Kununurra Tourist Bureau Please post to: on 08 9168 1177 WA Dept of Agriculture Attn: Rita Randell Conference Details PO Box 350 BROOME WA 6725  Date: Date:Date: Details of Delegate(s): Thursday and Friday 8th – 9th November, 2001 1.……………………………………..  Venue:Venue:Venue: 2……………………………………… Kununurra Leisure Centre Coolibah Street Organisation / Kununurra Property Name:…………………………….  Registration: Address:…………………………………… Please register for the Conference by … completing the attached form and returning …………………………………….. to: WA Department of Agriculture State………………….PC…………… Attn: Rita Randell Phone:(.…….)……………………………… PO Box 350 Fax:(……..)……………………………… BROOME WA 6725 Email:…….…………………………………

barkly beef September 2001 6 Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and Living With Pigweed (Portulaca oleracea) can cause “oxalate” poisoning, which prevents the absorption of calcium during digestion, “1080” while Birdsville Indigo (Indigofera linnaei) contains “indospicine” toxins that affect “1080” or “Fluoroacetate” is a poison neuromuscular tissues. Plants such as which blocks energy metabolism in all Button Grass (Dactyloctenium radulans) can body cells and is commonly used in cause “nitrate-nitrite” poisoning, which the control of feral animals. Have you prevents the transport of oxygen in the ever wondered why animals blood, while some Rattlepods (Crotalaria introduced into Australia, such as spp.) cause liver failure through the rabbits, foxes, dingos and even cattle, “cumulative pyrrolizidine alkaloid” are more susceptible to “1080” than poisoning. Other plants that are known to the native fauna? This is because have detrimental effects on livestock “1080” is all around us and is present include, Morning Glory (Ipomoea muelleri), in many native plants. The native Noogoora Burr (Xanthium occidentale), fauna have evolved along side these Whitewood (Atalaya hemiglauca), Caltrop plants, and unlike the introduced (Tribulus terrestris), Cycads (Cycas animals, have developed a degree of angulata), Northern Ironwood immunity to it or. (Erythrophleum chlorosstachyum) and Darling Pea (Swainsona spp.). Two plant species in the Barkly district, Georgina Gidgea (Acacia georginea) and The presence of these plants however does Heart-leaf Poison Bush (Gastrolobium not necessarily mean your stock will be grandiflorum) both contain relatively high poisoned, but BE AWARE! levels of “1080”, a fact you should be aware of, especially if you own livestock. Georgina Gidgea is found on both the black and red Chris Materne soils and can concentrate “1080” in its Regional Rangeland Management Officer DPIF - Tennant Creek seedpods. Heart-leaf Poison Bush, is only Ph 08 8962 4492 found on the red soils and has an attractive Fax 08 8962 4480 large bright red (or sometimes yellow) pea E-mail [email protected] flower and contains “1080” in it’s leaves. Cattle have been known to eat these plants at times, resulting in their death.

“1080” is not the only poisonous substance that is found in plants. In fact, there are many different types of poisons found in plants and they can affect livestock in different ways. “Poisonous” native plants are common and all around us.

barkly beef September 2001 7 when I sat in the shuttle bus that brought me Work to my backpacker I was rewarded by the dark blue sky with its thousands and thousands of stars. experience The sky in Germany at the DPIF never gets this dark and I suppose you in Katherine wouldn’t have a romantic and Tennant starwatching with someone as you could Creek have here. By the way, in Germany the moon grows from one side to the other and not from the bottom to the top. This is something you wouldn’t imagine if you hadn’t seen it yourself. The next day I realized that it was already very warm in Darwin. I was told that it would be like European summer and heat up during the dry. Unfortunately, I had compared the weather with the German summer we had before I came over to Australia and this was a very cool and rainy one this year. I had to throw out some of my jumpers and get some tops instead but as I appreciate warm weather I didn’t care much about that. My name is Martina and I’m an The same day a horticulturist from the Agricultural Science student from Department gave me a lift down south to Germany. In March I asked Neil Katherine where I met Neil, was introduced MacDonald at the DPIF in Katherine to the people working in the Animal for the chance to get some work Production Section and moved into a flat on experience in the Northern Territory the Research Farm where I should stay for after I had found a report about the the following weeks. trial (Improving Breeding Herd Efficiency) that was conducted at The next day I started working on a pen trial Alexandria Station. I was surprised with Rebecca. We went up to the yards and very happy when Neil answered where nine Brahman bulls were waiting for very quickly and told me that he us. That was the first time that I saw might need a volunteer in summer. Brahman cattle not only on pictures and I And here I am…. decided that I really like them because they I arrived in Darwin at night in the end of have these big brown eyes and the wobbling July. The flight had taken a long time and skin. We weighed them and put them some delays hadn’t made the trip better. But together as three in three different yards barkly beef September 2001 8 because they should get three different types In August, I got the chance to go to Mt of grass for ten days to find out the grasses’ Sanford Station where the Field Day 2001 digestibility. was held that had been organised by the Harvesting grasses became my daily work: I Department in Katherine. It was really went out by tractor in the morning and interesting to listen to the presentations on started harvesting grass – Buffel, Black all the different topics. I learned a lot about Spear and Sabi Grass. For me, that was water medication, burning and diseases always an adventurous task because I often which I had never heard of before because cut down a termite mound which I hadn’t they don’t play an important role in seen trough the high grass. Therefore the Germany since we don’t have the carriers. In motto was: keep your eyes open and if a Germany, burning wouldn’t come to a termite mound comes up try to get out of the farmer’s mind these days. In former times way. That means that the way of driving was farmers burned down the leftovers on the not straight forward but often in circles. In field after they’ d harvested the crops. But Germany you try to hold the line steady to that is definitely not the habit anymore. be as efficient as possible when driving The other thing I enjoyed at the Field Day because we don’t have to avoid termite was camping in a swag although I was a bit mounds or huge stones. shocked when someone told me that I had to Once I was happily driving with the tractor check the tree I when I looked out of the backscreen to was lying under check if everything was still alright as I had for snakes before learned on a farm in Germany. I was really I could safely shocked when I saw what was going on sleep. behind me: the harvester had started smoking. I stopped the tractor, climbed out We definitely of it and … by this time it came to my mind don’t have to do this at home. If it had not that the dry grass could catch fire easily and been that freezing at night I had enjoyed it this could burn down the whole machine and even more. But two t-shirts, one shirts, one that definitely shouldn’t happen! I have jumper and one jacket had not been enough never been back on a tractor in such a short to keep me warm. Probably the nights in the time and was driving forward. Luckily the outback are more like European winter… harvester stopped smoking and I didn’t start a bushfire. After the Field day I went to Tennant Creek But nevertheless I drove back to the shed to and stayed there over the weekend. On let the mechanic have a look at the harvester Sunday evening Darryl and me headed off that was driving me mad. He found out that for Austral Downs but we didn’t get there nothing was wrong and I kept going with my until the next morning. We camped close to heart beating quickly at the beginning. But the road and continued in the early morning. nothing ever happened again and we That day Darryl started a Pregtesting School finished the pen trial without any other and I was allowed to participate. I hadn’t disturbances. Unfortunately, the bulls had expected to learn such an amazing thing like lost weight during the time because the feeling a calf inside a cow but pregtesting grasses had been too dry and hadn’t carried cows was actually one of the best things I enough nutrients. So the Department learned during my stay in Tennant Creek. cancelled the trial for the rest of the dry. Furthermore, I experienced working with Originally I was supposed to run the trial cows in the yards at Austral Downs. again in September but now I will go to Alice Springs instead. barkly beef September 2001 9 Sometimes it was necessary to jump on a around me but a few trees, some cangoroos fence to save (Kangaroos) and, of course, cattle. I have to myself of a mad admit that I have never seen such big mops. cow. I reckon It is fantastic to see so many cattle at the German cows same spot. In Germany most of the cattle are are not as wild as kept in stables. That means that the size of Australian ones your stable or shed is a determining factor so I had great for the number of head. If you want to fun with your extend your numbers you probably have to crazy cattle. build a new stable. In the following week I went out with Chris Once I visited one of the biggest stations in a rangeland officer to Brunchilly to find out Germany with an excursion run by the what different kind of grass species were university. This station present in an area which was going to keeps about 2000 head become a firebreak. Before that I didn’t of cattle and cultivates think that grasses could be that interesting about 6000 hectares. but I really enjoyed this trip. You see, Germany is a tiny country compared Another trip took Jono a weeds officer and to Australia and probably so are the sizes of myself to Banka Banka. That was an stations seen with Australian eyes. Did you overnight trip and we camped between know that Germany fits into Australia for Parkinsonia trees. about 22 times? I haven’t known until someone from Austral The second day of this trip was a lazy one Downs told me. Well, every time someone for me but probably a hard one for Jono reminded me that some stations are about because he got the flu. At night I saw more 10.000 sq km but I hardly could imagine dragonflies than I have seen in my entire that size. It’s just too big. life. Normally, I hate insects and especially big brummers but this time I appreciated I am very happy and grateful that I got the them because they were eating the mossies chance to come to Australia to see all this, that were really annoying. The next day learn so many things and meet so many Jono – who wants to find information about friendly people on my way through the the viability of the Parkinsonia seeds and the offices and on the stations. Thanks very possibility of fighting the seeds with bugs- much to all the people who let me share and me quickly collected some samples and their experiences with them. went home in the afternoon because he didn’t feel much better than the day before. Going to Lake Nash and collecting some grass samples was a special experience because on the way I saw not much more than grass. It took me some time to get used to this country because every time we drove up a hill I thought that there must be Martina Fell something coming up. I was happy seeing E-mail [email protected] some trees from time to time. In Germany you can’t even drive a few km without passing a village. In the end, I got used to it and really liked being out with nothing barkly beef September 2001 10 Barkly Landcare & Conservation Association Project on Track A number of years ago the Barkly Australian Trust for Conservation Landcare & Conservation Association Volunteers for tree and grass planting. (BL&CA) was formed between stations on the Barkly Tablelands. The objective A number of years have passed since the of this association was to improve the scheme was first put forward for funding, land condition of the Barkly Region. One unfortunately exceptional wet seasons aspect is a concerted attack upon weed delayed the onset of work, but this looks to outbreaks through the combined efforts be the year for noticeable inroads to be made of pastoral interests across the area. By into the weed populations on the Barklys. working together and treating infestations With the continuation of NHT funding under on a catchment basis, success is more the aegis of NHT2 more or less assured, we likely. are hopeful of receiving further monetary assistance for weed control work. The Money provided to the BL&CA under the control work mentioned is mainly aimed at Commonwealth National Heritage Trust arresting any further deterioration of water (NHT) funding program has enabled weed catchment areas, creeks, rivers, etc across control work to commence on the Playford the Barkly Tablelands. We are hopeful of River Catchment. Poisoning of Parkinsonia successfully halting and reversing any & Mesquite has been carried out, beginning detrimental effects to our ecosystems and at Mittiebah Station through Alexandria maintaining a pristine natural environment. Station, downstream through Alroy Downs and finishing at the lakes on Brunette John Stafford Jon Peart Downs. Once sufficient weed death has President BL&CA Secretary BL&CA occurred, work will begin on revegetating Ph 08 8964 4547 Ph 088962 4491 the Playford system with native trees and grasses. We will seek assistance from the

barkly beef September 2001 11