Mr KNIGHT - 2005-08-17
The pastoral industry is one of our largest primary industry sectors and contributes to land management throughout the Northern Territory. Can you inform the House what initiatives are under way to ensure best practices are achieved?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I am very pleased to advice the House that, last week, I attended a pastoral field day at Pigeon Hole Station. There were more than 200 participants there. Janet Holmes a Court was there to open the day. I am very pleased to say that the member for Daly had to drive for over six hours and blow two tyres before he arrived there, but it was worth it, because it is an excellent project which is going to promote sustainable development of the pastoral industry and, at the same time, maintain the biodiversity in the Northern Territory.
My department has undertaken research at Mt Sanford Station. That research has found that it is possible to actually increase cattle production and improve their condition through more even grazing throughout the landscape. Heytesbury Beef and Meat and Livestock Australia, in partnership, are now assessing these outcomes and developing more productive grazing methods for the Victoria River area.
The Pigeon Hole project is taking the principles learned at Mt Sanford and putting them into full commercial scale. We were very impressed. We were driven around and shown different areas where different grazing applications are applied; how scientists actually assess the proportion of annual grass that can be consumed by cattle; how they are using watering points for controlled grazing in the area; and how they use rotational grazing so the land is not affected, production is increased and also the biodiversity in the area is not affected.
Developing additional watering points and infrastructure certainly may increase management costs, but Observant, a company working with Heytesbury, is currently developing a new system where, using radiotelemetry to start and stop bore pumps, they can actually add nutrients to the water and even take photographs of the watering point using high frequency radio. They can do that either from the homestead or from Melbourne or Sydney. It is a new, innovative approach, really utilising technology for the pastoral industry.
As the member for Daly said, the pastoral industry is one of the most significant industries in the Territory and, despite what is happening in the rest of Australia with the decline of the sale of cattle for export, here in the Northern Territory, until this month, we have seen an increase by 8000 cattle. If you look out in the harbour you will see five cattle ships queuing to load Northern Territory cattle to take them to market in South-East Asia.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I am very pleased to advice the House that, last week, I attended a pastoral field day at Pigeon Hole Station. There were more than 200 participants there. Janet Holmes a Court was there to open the day. I am very pleased to say that the member for Daly had to drive for over six hours and blow two tyres before he arrived there, but it was worth it, because it is an excellent project which is going to promote sustainable development of the pastoral industry and, at the same time, maintain the biodiversity in the Northern Territory.
My department has undertaken research at Mt Sanford Station. That research has found that it is possible to actually increase cattle production and improve their condition through more even grazing throughout the landscape. Heytesbury Beef and Meat and Livestock Australia, in partnership, are now assessing these outcomes and developing more productive grazing methods for the Victoria River area.
The Pigeon Hole project is taking the principles learned at Mt Sanford and putting them into full commercial scale. We were very impressed. We were driven around and shown different areas where different grazing applications are applied; how scientists actually assess the proportion of annual grass that can be consumed by cattle; how they are using watering points for controlled grazing in the area; and how they use rotational grazing so the land is not affected, production is increased and also the biodiversity in the area is not affected.
Developing additional watering points and infrastructure certainly may increase management costs, but Observant, a company working with Heytesbury, is currently developing a new system where, using radiotelemetry to start and stop bore pumps, they can actually add nutrients to the water and even take photographs of the watering point using high frequency radio. They can do that either from the homestead or from Melbourne or Sydney. It is a new, innovative approach, really utilising technology for the pastoral industry.
As the member for Daly said, the pastoral industry is one of the most significant industries in the Territory and, despite what is happening in the rest of Australia with the decline of the sale of cattle for export, here in the Northern Territory, until this month, we have seen an increase by 8000 cattle. If you look out in the harbour you will see five cattle ships queuing to load Northern Territory cattle to take them to market in South-East Asia.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016