The Central Highlands has 61 feedlots and with access to reliable, secure water allocations, there is significant opportunity to develop CQ INLAND PORT: transformational infrastructure new feedlot facilities and operations in the . Intensive beef Funding has been secured to build an intermodal freight CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, industries are experiencing growth with current approvals and hub at the greenfield site of Yamala with construction expansions of more than 52,200 SCU in progress in 2018. expected to be commence in 2018. The CQ Inland Port will improve supply chain efficiency and service the agricultural Emerald Saleyards BEEF POWERHOUSE OF catchment, facilitating bulk and containerised aggregation. The contemporary Emerald Saleyards complex is the Central The development includes plans for a multi-user rail siding and Highlands’ premier livestock selling centre, and holds weekly container storage and handling of 5,000 TEU (twenty-foot and special sales serviced by a group of highly competent and equivalent) capacity in its initial stage. It is identified in the experienced livestock and property agents. Over the last five Central Highlands Regional Council Planning Scheme (2016) years, an average of around 100,000 head of cattle, worth as Special Industry Zone which allows a diverse range of $100 million have been yarded each year. The welfare facilities commercial and industrial style businesses to be developed. located at the Saleyards provide a cost-effective centre for the inspection and treatment of livestock moving across Queensland’s cattle tick biosecurity zones. Rigorous systems and standards that protect product integrity exist throughout the entire red meat supply chain of Australia. These Markets, Export Value and Volume standards and systems operate under independently audited quality The Central Highlands is serviced by three major export-focused assurance programs and include Livestock Production Assurance abattoirs, which are located within a 300 kilometre radius of the (LPA), the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) and Meat region on the east coast of Queensland. Standards Australia (MSA) eating quality program

Organisation Location Daily Processing The grazing industry occupies more of the landscape than any Capacity other industry in the Central Highlands with 76 per cent of the region (4,547,600 ha) of grazing native vegetation. This makes it JBS Australia 696 particularly well suited for organic and pasture fed systems. Teys Australia Rockhampton 1,731 IN THE CENTRE OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, LIES THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, ONE OF THE The Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System (PCAS) is an assurance Teys Australia 703 program that enables the industry to prove claims relating to STATE’S KEY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS, GENERATING OVER $740 MILLION PER ANNUM IN (ABARE 2015) grassfed production for the lifetime of the animal. It has been ECONOMIC VALUE. BEEF PRODUCTION IS THE LARGEST AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY IN THE REGION increasingly adopted across the region. Many beef producers WORTH AN ESTIMATED $540 MILLION, AND ACCOUNTING FOR 70 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL In addition to the live cattle selling centre in Emerald, the region is undertake the voluntary Grazing Best Management Practice serviced by the Livestock Exchange (CQLX) (BMP) program which assists graziers improve the economic and AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT FOR THE REGION (ABS 2015-16). located 8km west of Rockhampton. The majority of cattle are environmental performance of their enterprises. transported to these facilities by road, however also CHDC in partnership with the Central Highlands Regional Council provides a regular weekly schedule of cattle services via rail which (CHRC) delivers the award-winning Central Highlands Accelerate The region is a critical and strategic staging point in the northern Central Highlands – Cattle – Value Of Production (E) in $000’S. travel from Emerald to Rockhampton and abattoirs. Agribusiness (CHAA) initiative which aims to grow, promote Australian beef supply chain. Cattle from the northern of 600,000 4.5% the Northern Territory and Western Australia are typically either Once beef cattle have been processed, the final product is and realise value and opportunity for all businesses producing 4.0% sold to live export or relocated to the more favourable growing 500,000 delivered to domestic customers or to the Port of Brisbane and agricultural and food products, processing and other value-adding conditions of the Central Highlands to be fattened before 3.5% for export. $365 million of Central Highlands’ beef is services in the of Queensland, Australia. processing in Queensland. 400,000 3.0% exported to Japan (25 per cent), the United States (24 per cent), Find out more at www.chdc.com.au/agribusiness South Korea (17 per cent) and China (7 per cent). 2.5% Sources: ABS 2015-2016; ACIL Allen (2017); QLUMP (2009); ABARES (2015) Australia’s The Central Highlands is located in the heart of the summer rainfall 300,000 2.0% Beef Supply Chains; CHRC (2017) zones which provides a range of options in terms of herd genetics Best Practice and Integrity Systems and feeding regimes. 200,000 1.5% Livestock producers employ best practice including performance 1.0% recording and evaluation, Total Genetic Resource Management 100,000 Cattle are grazed on native Brigalow and improved pastures with 0.5% (TGRM), feed efficiency testing, walk-over weighing technologies productivity driven by high soil fertility and water holding capacity. and genomics. 0 0.0% The environment supports the production of cattle that are suitable 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Value of production ($ 000's) Value of production as % of Australian cattle industry for the high-quality domestic market and premium export markets. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Volume and Value The region boasts 1.37 million head of cattle, or 5.5 per cent of Over 600 livestock enterprises operate in the Central Highlands the national herd. This makes it the largest herd size by Local either as stand-alone enterprises or in combination with raingrown Government Area in Australia and only surpassed by the larger and irrigated cropping. Substantial private and publicly listed areas of Fitzroy, Queensland and the Northern Territory in terms companies run integrated cattle and beef operations from the of production. region including the Australian Agricultural Company, the North In 2015-16 the value of production amounted to an estimated Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO), Clark & Tait and the $540 million in the Central Highlands. The region consistently Acton Land and Cattle Company. These include backgrounding contributes between 3 and 4 per cent of the national value of and finishing, supported by feedlotting operations totalling more production for the last decade. than 105,000 Standard Cattle Unit (SCU) capacity.

For further information contact Liz Alexander, Agribusiness Development Coordinator Central Highlands Development Corporation Largest herd Postal Address: PO Box 1425, Emerald Qld 4720 Office Address: 31 Ruby Street, Emerald Qld 4720 size in Australia $540m 4.5million ha T 07 4982 4386 F 07 4982 4068 E [email protected] BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA VALUE OF BEEF AREA OF GRAZING LAND USE

Disclaimer: Central Highlands Development Corporation (CHDC) has prepared the information in this document as a general reference only. CHDC has made every effort to ensure that the details in this document are correct and cannot PRODUCTION be held liable for any inaccuracy or misrepresentation, whether by inclusion, omission, change or withdrawal of services without notice. CHDC does not accept liability for any errors, losses or damage that arise from the use of this document. All persons using or relying upon this document do so at their own risk and undertake sole responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of that content and should not act or refrain from acting solely on the basis of this document. In this document, references to other sources and resources are made available solely for convenience and may not remain current or be maintained and are not an endorsement. CHDC is not responsible for the content, materials or privacy practices associated with noted sources and resources. If you become aware of any problems with this document, you must inform CHDC immediately. Darwin $ Economic value 740m (2016) 2015-16 Snapshot Agribusiness in the $ Townsville Value Added 189m NT QLD Land Cotton $ Emerald Regional Exports 381m Central Highlands WA CENTRAL 1,752,329 ha $58 million HIGHLANDS Brisbane Regional Imports $169m Strategic Cropping Land Value of lint production SA NOT ONLY IS THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AGRICULTURAL NSW 17.5% 9.6 bales/ha Perth INDUSTRY PRODUCTIVE AND DIVERSE, IT IS GROWING. Sydney SCL as a percentage of total Average Yield Adelaide ACT FROM 2011 TO 2016, THE REGION HAS SEEN A Queensland SCL Canberra VIC 1,183 Agricultural businesses (2016) CUMULATIVE GROWTH IN THE AVERAGE VALUE Horticulture 984,705 ha Melbourne PRODUCED PER HECTARE OF 12 PER CENT, WELL Priority Agricultural Area 38% of all businesses (2016) >$100 million TAS SURPASSING THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF SIX PER CENT. 23% Value of production Hobart PAA as a percentage of total 1,791 Agricultural jobs (2016) Queensland PAA 380,000 Extensive beef production and This has been recognised by the Citrus trees & 90% of broadacre cropping (cereal and pulses) who have Queensland’s mandarin exports Young, skilled population are the key drivers of the value in the formally identified a third of the region Water Central Highlands. The region is also as Strategic Cropping Land (SCL) and 5% 1.301 million ml 27,999 People an important cotton producer and Priority Agricultural Areas (PAA). Of national table grape crop boasts a thriving citrus and table grape , second largest sector. Niche and emerging crops Processing and handling infrastructure storage in Queensland 350,000 18,496 Labour force (2016) include macadamias, melons, lychees, in the region includes cotton gins, grain New seedlings and grafted figs and potatoes. handling facilities and the modern Beef trees in 2017 in emerging 33 Average age compared Emerald livestock saleyards. macadamia industry to national average of 38 A key comparative advantage of the 1.37 million Clermont region is its secure, reliable, quality A strong professional, technical and sales service industry supports Central Number of head water supply provided by Queensland’s 69% Agricultural workforce second largest water storage, the Queensland and northern Australian C Middlemount Tartrus 10% Weir aged under 55 Fairbairn Dam; the Nogoa Mackenzie agriculture. Research capability is Percentage of Queensland herd T Bingegang Water Supply Scheme, and the Nogoa, underpinned by the Department Theresa Weir of Agriculture and Fisheries and Creek 2nd Agriculture is the second Comet, Mackenzie and Dawson Rivers. 628 Mackenzie largest employer after mining CQUniversity Emerald campus. River Number of livestock enterprises A warmer sub-tropical climate provides R Emerald Bedford Weir the opportunity for broadacre and The region is a strategic hub for S Queensland’s freight and logistics. The B Bluff horticultural crops to be planted in both Broadacre Cropping A Central Highlands is serviced by 6.9 Capricorn of families in Central spring and summer. For horticultural Longreach C 53% Highway D Y Rockhampton Highlands are ‘Couple Family with producers the Central Highlands’ direct flights per day between Emerald 453,310 ha D and Brisbane, and is connected to the W Fairbairn Children’, compared to 43% for climate allows them to supply early Area of potential cropping land use Dam Dawson east coast by electrified rail. Major Gemfields River Qld. Living in Central Highlands is a season fresh produce to southern Comet road freight routes run through the Gregory River lifestyle choice. domestic markets and counter-seasonal million Highway $207 exports to the . region, north-south and east-west. Value of chickpea production Nogoa Woorabinda Unemployment Central Highlands River The region boasts large areas of Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of 15% S Central Highlands produce is exported, 3.8% Qld 5.6% (Dec Qtr 2016) high quality agricultural soil used for Of national mungbean crop broadacre and irrigated cropping. primarily to the USA and Asian 412 R FTA markets. Investment opportunity Cropping enterprises Tambo B Moura 2 59,836 km Central Highlands Agricultural Commodities: production value ($ million) Total area of the Central Highlands ● Cattle ● Sorghum 540.8 91% Agricultural land use ● Wheat 38.5 ● Other broadacre grains $ 11.0 ● Chickpeas* 6.1 Arcadia 1,512/ha 3 year average ● Mungbeans V agricultural land price (2012-2015) 28.2 ● Cotton ● Table grapes* Roma 21.7 ● Citrus* Connected 57.9 ● All other agricultural products Strategic Cropping Land (SCL) has been identified by the State Government as a finite resource that must be conserved and managed for the longer term. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2015-16) *ABS data survey can vary significantly due to survey and 50+ Brisbane to Emerald direct 21.9 privacy requirements. Pulse Australia has estimated Priority Agricultural Areas (PAA) are strategic areas identified by the State return passenger flights per week 1.1 2015-16 pulse production to be $207 million; Table 10.4 grape industry has estimated 2015-16 production Government as containing significant clusters of priority agricultural land at $60.2 million; ACIL Allen estimates citrus value to be $40 million. uses, ie high value, intensive agricultural uses.