Emergency Grazing Provisions Guideline (Temporary Drought Relief Grazing on National Parks and Other Protected Area Estate)

Emergency grazing provisions guideline (temporary drought relief grazing on national parks and other protected area estate)

The Queensland Government is range of drought relief measures available to implementing a wide range of measures to affected graziers. support graziers suffering hardship due to The following selected areas are being drought. considered: To assist graziers, the government has  Gilbert River (N of Forsayth) amended legislation to make five national  Rungulla (S of Forsayth) parks and one national park (recovery) in the  Eight Mile (S of Forsayth) proximity of a number of drought declared  Littleton (near Croydon) areas available for agistment under short-  The Canyon (near Georgetown) term emergency hardship grazing  Wairuna (W of Ingham) arrangements. These arrangements only  Belmah (S of Emerald) apply until 31 December 2013.  Bedourie (N of Taroom) The national parks available for emergency  Redcliffevale (W of Mackay). agistment were selected for a number of Additional funding may be provided for reasons, including their previous history of essential fencing repairs and re- grazing; proximity to existing drought establishment of effective fencing on these declared areas; current condition and parks where it provides long term suitability for short term grazing conservation benefit, in particular boundary arrangements and buffel grass extent. fences. The five national parks and one national park Any other costs are to be borne by the recovery are: applicants and any infrastructure is to be  Moorrinya National Park (S of Prairie) temporary – only for the duration of the  Blackbraes National Park (N of permit. Hughenden)  Mazeppa National Park (N of Purpose Clermont)  Forest Den National Park (between The purpose of the emergency grazing Prairie and Aramac) agistment is to provide short term relief for  Nairana National Park and Nairana drought-affected cattle. This guideline National Park (Recovery) (between provides information on eligibility criteria and Charters Towers and Clermont). the selection process. No other national park tenure will be available Any grazing arrangements granted over the for grazing for this purpose. national parks and other reserve properties will be subject to strict conditions including The Government may also allow temporary stocking rates. access to other State-owned lands for emergency drought relief grazing as one of a Hardship grazing authorities will only be able to be issued up until 31 December 2013 on

the five national parks and national park Minister makes a “referral request” under (Recovery). However longer-term the Environment Protection and arrangements may be provided on the other Biodiversity and Conservation Act 1999 selected areas in cases of ongoing, the cattle may have to be removed demonstrated hardship. immediately.

Criteria to prioritise Requirements of eligibility for agistment in producers utilising Stock a national park or Grazing Permits selected area Producers will be required to obtain a permit The following issues will be taken into from the Department of National Parks, account: Recreation, Sport and Racing (NPRSR) to  Cattle from a property that is in a Drought graze in the five national parks and selected Declared area or has an Individual areas. These permits will expire on 31 Drought Declaration. December 2013 or sooner if the drought declaration of the relevant “home” property is  Extent that the producer is facing animal revoked. welfare issues due to insufficient resources to feed cattle on the property The producer will have to comply with a and therefore the capacity to manage the range of requirements regarding the grazing, welfare risk is constrained. including:  Breeding stock will be given priority.  no clearing of vegetation other than for maintaining existing infrastructure such as  Extent that producer can manage the fence lines, watering facilities, fire trails or agisted cattle including provision of water internal access; and temporary infrastructure and have an understanding of infrastructure and terrain  no introduction of non-native species; issues impacting on cattle security and of  no permanent infrastructure unless other risks such as poisonous plants approved by NPRSR; (Heartleaf, Lantana etc).  while the producer is not required to pay  Ability to obtain clearance from agistment fees, the producer will pay all Biosecurity Queensland if cattle are other expenses associated with the subject to a movement restriction. movement and management of cattle  Where transportation is required, cattle under the permit; that are fit for the intended journey.  producers must provide a weed hygiene  Accepts the responsibility for mustering declaration; and removal of cattle at the end of the  producers must provide evidence that agistment period. cattle with access to mature prickly acacia  Ability of the producer to remove the pods in the previous six days have been stock at short notice if required. quarantined for at least six days to allow passage of prickly acacia seeds before  Understands that the State does not give release of cattle into the protected area; any guarantee that grazing of cattle will be permitted under Commonwealth  management actions to reduce impacts of legislation and that if the Commonwealth cattle in environmentally sensitive areas

such exclusion fences and conservative stocking rates. Transport  reduced stocking rates should pasture Cattle being transported must be fit for the condition decline; intended journey and moved in accordance with the Land Transport Standards. This  erection and removal of any temporary means that cattle must be of sufficient fencing or maintenance of existing strength to withstand the rigours of the fencing; transport including loading and unloading.  installation and maintenance of watering points and removal of these at the end of More information is available on the transport the term; of drought-affected stock from the business and industry portal www.business.qld.gov.au  mustering of wandering cattle;  suitable supplementary feeding regimes such as molasses; urea supplements and Expressions of Interest licks, as opposed to grain or Lucerne Expressions of Interest are requested by feeding which could potentially result in 14 June 2013. property contamination and weed dispersal; Contact  removal of ALL stock from the national parks by no later than 31 December For application enquiries please contact the 2013. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Customer Service Centre on Selection process telephone 13 25 23. Where more than one eligible property requests access to the same grazing area, a member of the Local Drought Committee and an officer from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will determine the producer(s) most in need of assistance.

Drought declarations and assistance Assistance for the transport, feed and infrastructure costs of drought-affected cattle may be available under Drought Relief Assistance Scheme (DRAS). To be eligible for a drought declaration, the property under assessment must meet the one in 10-to-15 year rainfall deficiency timeframe. The assessment compares rainfall recorded during the previous 12 months to historical data. Further details concerning DRAS is available at http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/4789_6557.htm