Rural Links - April 2017

rural SOUTHERN DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT MONTHLY RURAL ROUND-UP APRIL 2017

GOING WITH THE GRAIN

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World-leading research in the region ... see more inside on pages 8-9.

OLSENS PRODUCE ‘PRODUCT OF THE MONTH’ - HORSE RUGS AND DOG COATS

WE'RE FOR THE LAND

WINTER is coming around very quickly this year, so don’t go past Olsens Produce’s range of horse rugs and dog coats.

In their horse rugs range Olsens stock Kozy Combo, Horsemaster Ripstop Combo, Hamilton Combo, Rip Protector Rug, Aircon Combo, Blue Mountain Rug, Jute Rug, Defender Rug, Supa-air Combo, Supastop/Guard Combo and Crusada Rug. The Kozy Combo: · Built for comfort, warmth and endurance, the classic Kozy is packed with features designed to maximise comfort for your horse and stay where you want it, even when your horse is enjoying the freedom of a paddock. · Now in safety high visibility material - find your horse, dawn or dusk. · We stock a wide range of patterns and colours in the Kozy combo for a low price of $120 including GST. Horsemaster Ripstop Canvas Combo: · 20oz Ripstop canvas, waterproof, cotton lined with 200g polyfill. · Single chest strap, double 50mm nylon surcingle straps, acrylic fleece wither pad, large tail flap, fully detachable leg straps and hood dees, buckle-up neck straps.

We stock the navy blue and white in the Horsemaster Ripstop Canvas for a low price of $122 including GST. In their range of dog coats Olsens stock the famous Weatherbeeta Dog coats such as the parka and the windbreaker coats.

Weatherbeeta Parka:

WELCOME to the second edition of the Southern Free Times’ specialist rural publication, ‘Rural Links’.

Rural Links is our monthly, fullgloss publication inserted into the ‘SFT’ around the middle of the month and catering to the needs of our region’s farming sector, as well as being of general interest to the community.

The Free Times team - Jeremy Sollars, Natasha Sheahan, Bryan Pask and Lisa Crouch - has been working hard to bring you our second edition of Rural Links and we thank all of the advertisers who supported both our first edition in March and the April edition for their valued contributions.

We hope to further build Rural Links in the months to come - for advertising and editorial inquiries please call the Free Times team on the numbers below.

Olsens stocks a wide range of horse rugs. · Strong, waterproof and breathable 1200 denier outer shell with stylish triple weave outer. · Features strong 210T nylon lining with a warm 220g of polyfill. · Touch tape closure at the chest and adjustable belly closure.

We stock a range of colors in this dog coat for a low price of $43 including GST Weatherbeeta Windbreaker: · Showerproof and strong, 420 denier outer shell with boa fleece lining for warmth. · Features touch tape chest closure and adjustable belly closure.

We stock a range of colors in this dog coat for a low price of $32 including GST.

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CONTACT US Jeremy Sollars Editorial

Natasha Sheahan

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WORKING HARD FOR PRIME RESULTS HAVING two consecutive Supreme Champion Lambs of the Warwick Show is the “icing on the cake” for John Skinner, who says there are “no secrets to winning” the top spot.

“It’s a matter of having the right genetics and then what you put down their throats,” John said.

John and Marion Skinner farm 240 acres at The Glen, 20km south of Warwick, and are on what John describes as “miserable” country.

“It’s all deco (decomposed granite) country, very light soil which doesn’t hold on during a dry spell and necessitates having to supplement livestock through the worst of winter,” he said.

“We aim to lamb at the end of August, after the worst of the cold weather and some years we’ll have early lambs finish on grass before Christmas, but the volume of our lambs go onto grain from about the end of January, once they reach 35kg live weight.

“If it wasn’t for the small lamb feedlot, the lambs wouldn’t finish until much later in the year.”

The Skinners have a composite flock of Poll Dorset and Dorper-cross ewes and have had up to 80 at times in the better years.

“We have been using Poll Dorset rams bred

by Graham Greenup at Marylands, just over the border, and I couldn’t be happier than I am with his rams,” John said.

“He regularly tops the Warwick sale with prime lambs and they are much sought after.

“As for feed, we buy Riverina Lamb Feedlot pellets in bulk and I always strive to have the best lucerne hay available to the lambs 24 hours a day.

“Good clean water is important but I also let them out into a small, well-grassed paddock for a few hours every day.

“It gives them space to run around and keeps them clean but as soon as they hear me bucketing pellets into the feeder, they’re back in a flash.”

John said the prime lamb competitions held at the various agricultural shows and at rodeo time at the saleyards had provided excellent examples of what a well-finished lamb should look like.

“My early attempts at the competitions placed nowhere but I took notice and learned a lot from other producers and various judges’ comments,” he said.

“In recent years we’ve won several pen classes - three prime lambs - including a win at Stanthorpe Show, but two Supreme Prime Lambs at Warwick Show is the ‘icing on the cake’.”

John Skinner from The Glen notched up a second consecutive Supreme Champion Prime Lamb of the Warwick Show at the 2017 show in March.

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SHOT AT FERAL PLAN

By Jeremy Sollars A Queensland Audit Office report on Biosecurity Queensland says it is “unclear” what benefits have resulted from the State Government’s investment in wild dog management in Queensland.

The QAO’s Biosecurity Queensland Management of Agricultural Pests and Diseases Report 2016/2017 was released at the end of March and concludes Biosecurity Queensland “cannot always demonstrate it has successfully achieved the ultimate aims or outcomes of its programs”.

The report takes particular aim at wild dog management, with the scourge costing the Australian economy around $60 million a year.

The report states that “where Biosecurity Queensland shares responsibility for managing pests and diseases with other government and non-government entities, the effectiveness of its contributions is not always clear or easy to measure”.

“This means Biosecurity Queensland cannot always demonstrate the value it has delivered,” the report says.

“Wild dog management activities and surveillance activities are examples of this.

“Although Biosecurity Queensland has met most of its commitments in the strategy, it is unclear what benefits have resulted from the state’s investment in wild dog management.

“Limited data has been collected by Biosecurity Queensland and no evaluation

MUTINY ON PEST BOUNTY?

By Jeremy Sollars

A Queensland Audit Office report suggests the effectiveness of state wild dog management is “not always clear or easy to measure”. of the strategy has been completed to date by the Queensland Dog Offensive Group - a subcommittee of the Biosecurity Queensland Ministerial Advisory Council.”

The report goes on to state that Biosecurity Queensland has “documented strategies, objectives, and some performance indicators” for wild dog management, and for management of the Panama disease outbreak in North Queensland bananas.

“However, in the main, the performance indicators are not specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timed (SMART),” the report says.

“This means that Biosecurity Queensland is not in a position to monitor and report on how effective these activities are.

The full report is available for download at www.qao.qld.gov.au

WILD dog bounties have been included in the Southern Downs Regional Council’s 2017/18 draft budget, despite an advisory committee to the council questioning their effectiveness as a control measure.

The draft budget proposes a $100 bounty per dog and $50 per pup across the council area, with the draft currently out for public consultation, until Wednesday 10 May. Minutes of the March meeting of the council’s Pest Management Advisory Committee state that committee members have raised a question mark over the continuation of wild dog bounties, payable on the presentation of scalps.

The issue arose during the committee’s consideration of a draft ‘Southern Downs Wild Dog Management Strategic Plan 20162020’.

Previous council advice was that for the period January to September 2016, council paid out $19,300 for 190 adult dogs and six pups under the Wild Dog Bounty Program.

The advisory committee - which includes Cr Cameron Gow, council pest management officers James Eastwell and Craig Magnussen, Southern Downs Wild Dog Management Advisory Committee chairman Clive Smith and state agency representatives - agreed that council should consider “reducing the current bounty offer”.

The draft is online at www.sdrc.qld.gov.au

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Lot 1, Ascot Hercules, in the selling arena at North Toolburra.

AUCTION ACTION AT ASCOT BUYERS descended in their droves on the Ascot Charolais and Angus inaugural Autumn Bull and Heifer Sale on Friday 24 March, held at the selling complex on North Toolburra.

Owners Jim Wedge and Jackie Chard were pleased with the sale results, which included 19 Charolais bulls averaging $6894 to a top of $19,000, and 24 Angus bulls averaging $7375 and to a top of $13,000.

Jim Wedge said there weren’t many other autumn bull sales and it was pleasing to see buyers continuing to re-build herds and invest

in high quality genetics.

He was also “pleasantly surprised” by the interest shown in the heifers offered last month.

He said Ascot’s premier Spring Sale was shaping up to be an exciting one and would feature “a lot of two year old bulls and some interesting yearlings,” with 110 bulls overall to be offered - including 60 Angus and 50 polled Charolais.

The on-property Ascot Spring Sale will be held on Friday 29 September.

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Results from the Ascot Autumn Sale: · 19 Charolais bulls, averaging $6894 to a top of $19,000. · 24 Angus bulls, averaging $7375 and to a top of $13,000. · 32 joined Charolais heifers, averaging $2812 to a top of $5000. · 6 unjoined Charolais heifers, averaging $2416 to a top of $3500. · 35 joined Angus heifers, averaging $3386 to a top of $8000. · 2 unjoined Angus heifers, averaging $4000.

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A counsellor can help with: • preparing cashlows • developing a business plan • negotiating with lenders • preparing for succession planning • preparing for retirement • assisting you to access the Farm Household Allowance (FHA) • providing information about government and other assistance schemes

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By Jeremy Sollars

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THERE’S A COST WHEN DEER RUN FREE

By Jeremy Sollars THE Condamine Alliance conducted a feral deer survey of landholders in the Warwick area earlier this month.

The survey sought information about deer sightings and behaviour, including species, numbers, times of day and night spotted and the type of country.

The Condamine Alliance is offering to organise visits from council pest management officers to producers and landholders to discuss impacts and feral deer management and control options.

The most commonly seen species of feral deer in the Warwick and Stanthorpe areas is the fallow deer, but others can include the chital, rusa and red deer.

Originally native to Iran and Iraq, fallow deer are an attractive species that generally have a tan or fawn coat. They were introduced to southern Queensland in the late 19th century.

Fallow deer contained within a deer-proof fence, such as on farms or in game parks are not restricted invasive pests. Any fallow deer not within a deer-proof fence is considered feral or wild and subject to control.

Farmed deer that escape captivity quickly revert to a wild state.

Fallow deer can damage native and cultivated vegetation and pose a hazard to vehicles and humans and are a restricted invasive animal under the Biosecurity Act 2014.

The Condamine Alliance is building its knowledge base on feral deer.

Fallow deer facts: · Found in temperate environments and less suited to hot conditions than other introduced deer species. · Prefers open, grassy glades in forest, with dense understorey a favoured retreat. · Generally grazes on grassy areas; browses trees and shrubs more when other feed is scarce. · Most active at dawn and dusk; feeds more during darkness. · Established populations found west of Stanthorpe, with scattered populations around Warwick. · Breeding season usually begins April and lasts six to eight weeks, with males aggressive until early August.

· Can damage forestry seedlings, agricultural and horticultural crops, commercial flower crops, orchards, irrigation systems and fences. · In orchards, feral deer sometimes selectively eat new growth and ringbark trees, leading to reduced orchard viability. · In dry seasons, feral deer can compete with cattle for pasture and supplementary feed. · Can be hazards on roads and highways and aggressive stags can be danger to humans in built-up areas.

Sightings of feral deer should initially be reported to the Southern Downs Regional Council on 1300 697 372.

Condamine Alliance contact - Kym Campbell, 0411 589 886.

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STORM BENEFITS GO FAR DEEPER

By Jeremy Sollars THEY say every cloud has a silver lining and for the Southern Downs and Granite Belt it would appear to largely be true in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.

While some Warwick area producers have reported losses, including mung beans, overall the sub-soil moisture gained from the tropical depression into which Debbie formed over the Darling Downs has been welcomed.

Pursehouse Rural sales manager Marty Kerlin said Southern Downs producers were largely upbeat about rainfall of between 100 and 150 millimetres in many areas.

“Damage to infrastructure such as fences was isolated to flood-prone and low-lying areas where it would be expected,” he told the Free Times.

“Crop damage from heavy rain appears to be minimal in comparison to the greater good gained.

“It’s excellent for established early winter forage crops, and for finishing the end of summer forages.

“Graziers with improved pastures and a fertiliser program

Marty Kerlin says increased subsoil moisture will aid planting confidence for producers.

Stanthorpe's tomato and capsicum crops sustained some damage from the rain in the wake of Cyclone Debbie. will be reaping the rewards of careful planning - and the odd calculated punt.

“It’s certainly an ideal start for winter cropping programs.

“There’s a long-term gain for sub-soil moisture levels.”

Marty said producers were now looking at winter forages such as oats, barley, rye grass and lucerne and the improved moisture levels would improve confidence for chickpea plantings.

On the Granite Belt, Stephen Tancred of Orchard Services said the heavy rainfall did cause some quality problems with tomatoes, capsicums and strawberries and

it had been a “fairly average end to the season, even though it was quite a long season”.

But he said on the plus side there was now “plenty of water” in dams and apple crops being harvested now had benefitted.

He said there would be a gap in supply of tomatoes and capsicums in a month to five weeks due to picking issues in north Queensland brought on by Debbie.

“In Bowen the plantings weren’t at harvest stage so they’ve had to re-build and that’s put those growers behind,” Stephen said.

“Bundaberg will be picking

now, and there are going to be supply issues so we will see prices increase.

“With strawberries here there were obviously some quality issues but with a week of fair weather which followed the rain plants were fruiting nicely, so those growers got out of it fairly quickly.

“Apples have done well - the Granny Smiths and the Pink Ladies which are being harvested now are sizing well.”

Stephen said wine grape growers had their harvest delayed due to the rain, which affected sugar levels in berries with increased water content.

“Basically they’ve had to wait for the sugar levels to come back up, so the harvest was delayed but quality was not affected.”

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RESEARCH AIMS TO HARVEST THE GOOD

Sorghum grown at the Hermitage Research Station comes in a surprising array of colours.

Fruit of his labour: An Ethiopian highlands farmer proudly displays a head of sorghum.

WHILE a failed sorghum crop in Australia means less feed for livestock, in Ethiopia it can mean entire families and communities go without a feed.

World-leading research funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at Warwick’s Hermitage Research Station is helping to famine-proof one of Africa’s most droughtprone nations, as well as extending huge benefits to Australian sorghum producers.

Here in Australia sorghum finds its way into the stomachs of cattle and sheep and other livestock, but millions of people in the developing world rely on the grain as a staple food source.

Around our own region we’re used to seeing commercial sorghum crops of a mostly uniform height and colour, but those being cultivated at the Hermitage are a delightfully diverse bunch, both in colouring and in height.

Sorghum stalks are widely used as an animal feed, construction material and cooking fuel in Ethiopia, with some varieties grown there reaching well over three metres.

Local scientists, University of Queensland professor in genetics and plant breeding David Jordan and principal research scientist Dr Emma Mace (joint appointment with Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the University of Queensland) are leading a Hermitage team of around 10 scientists and other specialists undertaking groundbreaking work to improve sorghum’s drought resistance.

It's in conjunction with their core sorghum improvement program funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Professor Jordan, together with Professor Graeme Hammer from the University of Queensland, oversees a program which has attracted $4 million in funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and supported by $600,000 from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), an agency of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

This program has two parts, the first being to improve sorghum production in Ethiopia through training and capacity building in

plant breeding, with the second about understanding the genetics of important drought resistance traits.

Professor Jordan says conventional plant breeding employs the same principles as animal breeding, and in simple terms it’s about identifying the most desirable traits of “parents” and bringing them together.

Professor Jordan said it’s “a complex science and Australian researchers are some of the world’s best in this area”.

“It’s a bit like if you go to hospital to have a major procedure you’ve got a heap of different specialists working together,” he told Rural Links.

“What we’re doing is improving the technical skills of plant breeders and scientists in Ethiopia to help them to develop better varieties and understanding the drought-resisting traits of sorghum.”

Members of the Hermitage team and scientists from the university and DAF make the long trip to Ethiopia around three times a year, with the team made up of scientists from a range of disciplines, including genetics and genomics, statistics and IT. The program is producing benefits for Australia too.

“As well as improving the technical skills of plant breeders and scientists in Ethiopia we are trying to develop better understanding of the drought-resisting traits of sorghum so we can breed better varieties for Australia and Ethiopia,” Prof Jordan said.

“Drought is common in both countries, and so, in another aspect of the project we are looking at particular plant characteristics that allow them to use water more efficiently.

“We’re looking at things like root architecture - how the roots of the plant position themselves in the soil - and how we can get them to grow deeper into the soil to reach moisture.

“A plant uses water and sunlight to produce carbohydrate, which is the grain itself, so it’s also about identifying the genes in sorghum which allow for greater efficiency more grain using less water.”

Dr Mace’s work focuses on understanding the genetic differences in sorghum’s genes that change the way they respond to drought.

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BY JEREMY SOLLARS

Drought scene in Ethiopia.

Dr Mace said the benefits of the Hermitage team’s research were being seen on the ground both in Ethiopia and here at home.

“What we’re doing is not only improving the technical skills of plant breeders and scientists in Ethiopia but also understanding the drought-resisting traits of sorghum, which are important in both Australia and Ethiopia,” Dr Mace said.

The program is now in its fourth year and the results are not only helping to bolster Ethiopia’s food security but are also improving cropping outlooks for Australian sorghum production, with every commercial sorghum hybrid seed on the market bearing a genetic “stamp” from the Hermitage.

And in more good news Hermitage scientists are embarking on a second project to extend their learnings from sorghum breeding to chickpeas, wheat, maize and common bean.

As we head towards winter on the Southern Downs and Granite Belt the program’s sorghum cultivation focus will switch to the Hermitage’s sister research stations in Emerald and at Ayr in north Queensland, meaning the program runs yearround - and our own farmers will continue

to benefit as new sorghum genetic material continues to be commercially licenced.

Professor Jordan said the commonly-held perception of Ethiopia being a desert land is only partly true.

“It’s a really variable environment - yes, you’ve got desert and you’ve got areas which are down to 125 metres below sea level, but there’s also highlands where there can be consistent rain,” he said.

“What’s interesting is that back in the 1980s when they experienced some of their worst famines the population was around 40 million.

“Today that’s more than doubled to around 100 million and while in 2015 and 2016 they had their worst drought in 50 years, they’re not seeing the same kind of widespread famine as in the past.

“This is because their overall food security has been improving.

“We’re also working with them to improve grain storage and transport.

“The bottom line is if they don’t produce a crop they don’t eat.

“There are around half a billion people around the world who rely on sorghum as a basic food source.

“That’s a fair bit of tucker.”

Members of the Hermitage Research Station team in the field in Ethiopia.

A farmer ploughing with cattle.

A FEW THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ETHIOPIA: •฀A landlocked nation in the north-east ‘Horn of Africa’, Ethiopia is roughly the same size as New South Wales.

•฀It’s the most populous landlocked country in the world, and the secondmost populous nation in Africa after Nigeria.

•฀Some of the oldest evidence for anatomically modern humans has been found in Ethiopia and it’s widely considered as the region from which modern humans first set out for the Middle East and places beyond.

•฀Ethiopia derived prestige with its uniquely successful military resistance during the late 19thcentury ‘Scramble for Africa’, becoming the only African country to defeat a European colonial power and retain its sovereignty.

•฀Lying at an elevation of 2300 metres, the capital and largest city is Addis Ababa, with a population of more than 3.3 million.

•฀Ethiopia was invaded and occupied

by Italy between 1936 and 1941, with spaghetti - with an African twist remaining a popular dish.

Professor David Jordan and Dr Emma Mace with towering sorghum plants in the Hermitage Research Station paddocks.

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VINEGAR MAKER’S SWEET SWEET MOVE

By Jeremy Sollars THE Australian Vinegar corporate head office and innovation centre is finally complete after four years of design, development and construction.

The new facility was officially opened by Australia's Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove on Saturday 25 March.

Located in the Stanthorpe Industrial Estate, the new vinegar facility brings the very best of world-standard vinegar making to Queensland.

The new centre incorporates the most modern vinegar technology currently available for vinegar research and development and commercial production.

“It was a long build with more than the usual amount of hurdles to overcome, but we wanted it done right the first time and we were determined to stay in Stanthorpe because of its location and beneficial cost of doing business here,” CEO Ian Henderson said.

“We didn’t just build what we need now, we built what we need to grow our business for the next 10 or more years.

“We are proudly a regional company and have built to stay.”

What has been completed so far are stages one and two of a five stage, campus-style master development for the site.

“There is more to come, but for now we are

Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove with Ian and Robyn Henderson at the Australian Vinegar official opening.

Picture: Bryan Pask taking our new facility out for a spin and seeing what we can do with it,” Ian said, “The new, much larger facility, has unlocked even more of our company’s potential.

“Prior to 2017, production was farm based at our initial production site in Ballandean.

Ian Henderson established Australian Vinegar in 2005. It started as an export-only company and has rapidly grown to be the industry leader in its field.

It services both large and small food manufacturers with quality vinegar for food production. In addition they make foodservice and retail vinegars for the domestic and international markets.

LOCAL FIRM WORKS HAND IN HAND IN a true local collaboration Warwick’s Ranbuild, managed by Glenn and Nerida Eastwell, were handed the job of constructing the new Australian Vinegar factory.

Ranbuild erected the three 20-metre by 30-metre sheds which house the vinegar production, with Glenn saying it had been “great to be given the opportunity” to work with Ian Henderson on the major project.

“Ian contacted us a couple of years ago and we sat down with him and started to talk and negotiate and listened to him to understand his needs,” Glenn said.

“We worked Ranbuild Warwick's through the Glenn Eastwell said he different stages, was pleased to have from earthworks had a hand in the to concreting to project. construction.

“The factory has an under-floor water system which Ian and his staff installed, so we had to take care with that when we did the concreting.

“It’s great when local businesses support each other and the council were on board as well and very supportive.”

A small Ranbuild crew of four staff worked full-time on the project, with numbers doubling when it was time for the roofing to be done.

AUCTION 1,308 Hectares Lot 11 Luna Road, Inglewood Auction 11am on the 26th of May at the Warwick RSL Mark Mauch 0419 519 979 Rob Doro 0468 916 379

By Appointment

‘KILTYMAUGH’ OMAN – AMA LOCATION: Located 37 kilometres east of Inglewood and 105 Kilometres west of Warwick along formed all weather gravel road.

AREA: Approximately 1308 hectares ( 3232 acres ) COUNTRY: Predominately undulating traprock grazing country ideally suited to fine wool production. Approximately 50% open grazing country and 50% scattered timber to heavier timbered areas. Areas of millable cypress pine. PMAV in place with 90% white.

WATER: Frontage to the Macintyre Brook as well as seasonal creeks and springs. 8 stock dams provide water to every paddock.

FENCING: Fully fenced into 7 main paddocks plus 3 holding paddocks. Fencing is a combination plain wire, barb and hinge joint and dog netting.

INFRASTRUCTURE: 2 sets of sheep yards, 1 attached to a 2 stand shearing shed in excellent condition with undercover race and dry housing for sheep.

ESTIMATED CARRYING CAPACITY: Vendor estimates the carrying capacity at 1500 dse or approximately 80 cows turning off progeny as weaners. Vendor currently uses this block to run merino ewes.

COMMENTS: Held by the same family for generations and run exclusively as a self replacing merino flock ‘Kiltymaugh’ is for genuine sale as the owners wish to scale back their workload. Also ideally suited as a hunting, fishing or recreational block. Would make a great investment in a self managed super fund. Enjoy the many pursuits on your own block and have your money invested in land.

visit the property @ www.sdrealty.com.au 10 RURAL LINKS Thursday, 20 April, 2017

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BUZZ SURROUNDS NEW GROUP

By Jeremy Sollars MORE than 30 interested beekeepers and potential beekeepers turned up to a meeting at the Warwick Library on Monday April 10 to discuss forming an amateur beekeeping association.

The initiative was the brainchild of local beekeeper John Craig.

John said an excellent turnout saw more people than there were chairs available, so the next meeting will be held at the QCWA Warwick rooms.

John Craig, who has been an amateur beekeeper since the age of 16, told the Free Times last month he was keen to form a group to swap experiences and learnings related to the art of honey-making, along with organising workshops and field days.

John maintains around a dozen hives in his backyard which he builds himself and is more than happy to share his years of knowledge.

He said some of the topics discussed at the first meeting of the group included beehive construction, pests and diseases associated with apiaries and potential ideas and locations for workshops and field days.

The next meeting will be held on Monday 2 May at the QCWA Warwick rooms on Grafton Street.

For more information contact John Craig on 0431 188 139.

John Craig was happy with the turnout at a meeting to discuss the formation of an amateur beekeeping association in the region.

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CONTACT SOUTHERN DOWNS AG FOR A REAL DEAL ON GROUNDS CARE TODAY!

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THE INDUSTRY - IN BRIEF Pest fee pain A proposed new pest management fee targeted at landowners the Southern Downs Regional Council deems have failed to control pest animals and plants on their properties does not appear in the draft council budget for 2017/18.

Landowners across the Southern Downs and Granite Belt with more than five hectares were potentially to be slugged with a minimum $500 fee next financial year if they failed to comply with the council’s pest management requirements.

Councillors at a special meeting in Warwick in late February voted in favour of adopting the new ‘Invasive Pest Control Scheme Policy’ which a report by officers said was aimed at “incentivising

and increasing voluntary compliance with invasive pest control requirements”.

The scheme had been estimated to net more than $1.1 million in revenue each financial year for the council, depending on the extent of compliance by landowners.

The draft budget is available for public comment until Wednesday 10 May. To view the draft budget and for details of public consultation sessions visit www. sdrc.qld.gov.au Saleyards committee meets THE report of the March meeting of the Southern Downs Regional Council’s Saleyards Advisory Committee is expected to be reviewed by councillors at next week’s April meeting.

The committee met for the

first time in December and again in March, with the main topic of discussion being a potential plan to demolish the existing Warwick Saleyards and establishing a new $15 million state-of-the-art facility on land adjacent to Frasers Livestock Transport, off Old Stanthorpe Road.

The site is understood to be the 80-acre former Warwick Enterprise Park which Frasers Livestock Transport purchased earlier in 2016 for an undisclosed sum from BWC Developments.

The draft council budget for 2017/18 released on Monday 10 April allocates $75,000 for replacement of sections of the cattle yards, $100,000 for safety improvements in the 2018/19 financial year and $100,000 each year for the next 10 years for

further upgrades to the saleyards.

An allocation of $75,000 has been set down for the 2022/23 financial year for a saleyards master plan.

Chemical clean-up QUEENSLAND farmers are proving their worth as recycling champions with bookings for Agsafe’s ChemClear collection ramping up during its final few weeks of registration.

Farmers end up with leftover product they cannot re-use and ChemClear works with the State Government to help farmers fund collections of unlabelled, unregistered or unknown chemicals.

Register unwanted agvet chemicals online at www. chemclear.org.au or phone 1800 008 182.

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Thursday, 20 April, 2017 RURAL LINKS 15