GrazingFutures: Learnings from a contemporary collaborative extension program in rangeland communities of western Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Producer reliance on drought subsidies instead of proactive planning and timely destocking in low rainfall years has prompted Queensland government investment in promoting business and drought resilience. GrazingFutures (AUD $6M budget, 2016 - 2022) is an extension project focused on enhancing business management skills of extensive livestock producers in western Queensland, Australia. The region’s rangelands are in productivity decline, span 1M km2 and are managed by graziers operating more than 2,400 livestock businesses (beef, sheep and goats). The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries delivers GrazingFutures as a component of the Drought and Climate Adaptation Program, in partnership with regional natural resource management groups and other public and private organisations. Project delivery emphasised upskilling multi-agency staff and livestock producers to promote practice change within three whole of business themes; grazing land management, animal production and people-business. Three independent surveys (2018, 2019, 2020) indicated positive practice change was occurring in grazing businesses as a consequence of the project. Graziers instigated management changes even under major environmental challenges including extended drought (2013 – 2020), an extreme flood event in 2019 and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. This paper details the rationale, progress against the objectives, challenges and future direction of the GrazingFutures extension project.