CASE STUDY GLENALPINE with Barry and Leanne O’Sullivan

The three-year (2013-16) Building Resilience in the Burdekin Grazing Industry project is funded through the Queensland Government’s Regional NRM Investment Program.

Who

Barry and Leanne O’Sullivan, sons Wayde, Luke and Daniel.

Location

Glenalpine Station, Strathalbyn Road, 80km south west of Bowen.

Basin

Bowen Broken Bogie

Rainfall 720mm

Property Size 23,374ha

Currently runs

Predominantly a breeder operation running 5,500 head of cattle.

Enterprise

Beef cattle breeding, with steers held for 12 months for the feeder market and some held for 18 months and fattened for slaughter. Cattle are also agisted on an opportunity basis.

Family History

Glenalpine is a family property held by the O’Sullivans since 2003. Prior to taking over the property, Barry and Leanne worked in Western Australia for a number of years.

Practices

When the O’Sullivans took over Glenalpine in 2003, the 23,374ha was broken into just seven paddocks. There was limited infrastructure in place to control

grazing pressure, resulting in low plant species diversity, low pasture productivity and quality, and active soil erosion throughout the property.

NQ Dry Tropics, including: Reef Programme Water Quality Grants; Resilience in Grazing; and Protecting Biodiversity.

To change the grazing pattern of their cattle, they commenced fencing to soil types. They have now installed over 80km of fencing to reduce paddock sizes, allow better grazing management, and improve herd movement through an associated laneway system. There are now 21 main paddocks, with temporary electric fencing used for short-term, holistically-planned, ultra high-density grazing practices.

In 2010, to maintain a profitable business and allow the pastures on Glenalpine to rehabilitate, the O’Sullivans took up a grazing lease in fattening country, 500km south of Glenalpine. This enabled them to reduce the number of cattle grazing on Glenalpine, whilst maintaining the required stocking rates for their business operations.

The fencing also enabled them to rest D condition country and, as they fenced more soil types, they implemented rotational grazing that incorporated previously unused ridge country. As a result, cattle are maintaining a higher weight while the station still retains more than 80 per cent ground cover at the end of the dry. Commercially this has reduced supplementation costs, enabled higher calving percentages and heavier weight gains in the cattle. The construction of the fencing and associated water infrastructure was supported by a number of Queensland and Australian Government grant programs, through

As most of the property is watered from two bores, through 100km of pipeline to 120 troughs, they installed two water medicators to supplement the herd. They analysed the water so that the medication could be tailored to suit its pH and dissolved minerals. To help manage the medicator program, Barry and Leanne installed a telemetry system to remotely monitor tank and trough levels. They found that the system saved time, labour, water, and money.

Leanne said, “The biggest benefit we are seeing is being able to identify quickly when there is either a leak or overflow. You can plan your day much more efficiently if you don’t have to spend the first hour or so checking water.”

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The 3,000 breeders and replacement heifers are being changed from Brahmans to Droughtmaster infused after an unsuccessful attempt was made to breed Euro-crosses to capture better store prices. New genetics are being introduced based on Belmont Red composite bulls selected through desirable Estimated Breeding Value data.

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Motivators for change

The long-term aim is to improve the soil health of the property, which will increase infiltration, water retention, nutrient cycling, improve soil quality and biodiversity, and reduce erosion. If this can be achieved and maintained, the result will be better quality and quantity of pasture, allowing production of more kg of beef/ha, reducing exposure to the implications of drought, and maintaining a more consistently profitable business. Barry and Leanne undertook the following training to shape their grazing management and business decisions: • Grazing for Profit & Executive Link programs with RCS; • Low stress stock handling through Bud Williams; • Grazing Land Management program through Future Beef; • KLR Marketing school;

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Computer Mapping training and access to Spot 5 satellite imagery; The Right Mind workshops - Power of Engagement, Negotiators Toolkit and Mind Over Money; The EDGE network’s Breeding Edge course; Research to Reality - the Profitable Beef Business (NQ Grazing Systems project which aimed to accelerate the rate of adoption of sustainable technologies and to help graziers enhance the profitability and sustainability of their enterprises); and Grazing BMP program - the voluntary, industry-led process which helps graziers to identify improved practices which can help improve the long-term profitability of their enterprise.

Project Involvement

The O’Sullivans are undertaking the trial, demonstration and monitoring of the Holistic Management approach on Glenalpine Station. NQ Dry Tropics engaged Savory Grassland Management’s Rodger Savory as the Holistic trainer to support the development and implementation of a Holistic Management plan for Glenalpine. The O’Sullivans expressed their interest in the project as they believed the Holistic Management approach suited their ideology and presented an opportunity for sustainable management of the property. “As the property has a range of land

types and topography, Glenalpine is representative of many areas of North Queensland and therefore suitable to demonstrate the Holistic Management approach for a wide cross section of the industry,” said Leanne. Due to the scale of their operation, the O’Sullivans believe that the property can offer an example to the grazing industry, inspire other cattlemen and women, and provide direction for the future of the northern cattle industry.

Holistic Management

The Holistic Management approach involves developing a decision making framework to help graziers improve their performance and importantly, supports practical, costeffective and innovative approaches to land management and restoration issues. NQ Dry Tropics’ Resilience in Grazing project is supporting graziers, through the services of Holistic Management trainer Rodger Savory of Savory Grassland Management, to guide the participants in the development of comprehensive property plans based on the Holistic Management approach.

Practice Changes

The O’Sullivans developed an Holistic Context for decision making as part of their Holistic Management Plan. After completing their Holistic Management Plan, they undertook a trial of holistically planned ultra highdensity grazing practices at the end of

FUTURE... Our future is the direct result of how we look after the soil. Leanne O’Sullivan

the dry season in 2014 in a degraded paddock close to the homestead.

Solution being tested

The introduction and implementation of the Holistic Management decision making framework and implementation of high-density, planned grazing practices are in place on Glenalpine. The paddock was dominated by Indian couch with scattered tussocks of native pasture and some Buffel. In one corner of the paddock there was an actively eroding gully with much of the gully catchment area contained in the trial area. NQ Dry Tropics selected the gully as a demonstration area to investigate whether livestock impact can stabilise a gully system. The O’Sullivans set up small daily temporary paddocks within the larger paddock using an electric fencing system on a quad bike that was quick to set up and dismantle, with the cattle moving back to water through a laneway. They grazed a single mob of 1200 head over a six-week period at the end of the dry season across the 300ha trial area. The cattle responded well to the daily movement and, with a molasses mix as supplement, performed well from a production perspective. They treated the gully system by locking the mob onto the gully until the correct herd effect had been achieved resulting in the gully sides being thoroughly broken down and a very deep layer of manure

spread across the gully system. They removed the cattle prior to the start of the rains, which began with showers in mid-December and good rainfall through January.

Achievements

The O’Sullivans have developed their Holistic Context and are currently using it to frame their decision making process. This has included a review of their business operations, financial goals and the operation of the cattle enterprise. They have reviewed current grazing practices and developed a revised holistic grazing plan for a high-density planned grazing regime for all weaner cattle from the 2013/14 calf drop. They have also purchased equipment to implement an electric fence system to manage the holistic planned grazing requirements for the more intensive grazing practices. Application of improved management practices was achieved through a partnership with NQ Dry Tropics and the Reef Programme Water Quality Grants, Resilience in Grazing and Protecting Biodiversity projects.

Ideas for future innovation

Future plans for Glenalpine include putting together a mob of 2500 head of dry cattle to commence the wet season grazing plan in early 2015 before quickly moving to a single mob of up to 4500 head.

Monitoring program

NQ Dry Tropics’ staff are monitoring the changes to the biophysical environment over the course of the

trial. They are collecting data on pasture yield, species diversity, and soil and ecosystem health. They will pay particular attention to monitoring the effect of holisticallyplanned ultra high-density grazing on the rehabilitation of Indian Couch monocultures, and black soil gully erosion. The O’Sullivans will also collect financial and herd performance data using the Profit Probe package to determine the effects of Holistic management on overall business performance.

Immediate results

Following good rainfall in January 2014, the gully system is now unrecognisable. Although there are still a few bare areas, the gully itself is covered in dense tall pasture plants and the gully sides are difficult to find. The catchment area above the gully, which was once bare, is now a dense sward of pasture with 100 per cent ground cover. “On rested country next to the treated paddock, the grass has recovered OK from the dry season, and last year I would have said it was looking good. However, when comparing it to where the ultra high density grazing occurred, the pasture in the treated areas is very dense, up over the bonnet of the ute and is very green and healthy. My estimate is that some areas have produced five to six times the biomass compared to the untreated paddocks” said Barry.

Barry and Leanne admit that the trial has dramatically changed their plans, and what was planned to be a gradual change of practices will now be an accelerated move towards treating the whole property.

“The pasture growth in the high density grazed areas is phenomenal. I could not have imagined that pasture would respond so well.” Barry O’Sullivan “Producing that much pasture in one season is a compelling and very convincing argument. We need to capitalise on this approach and take advantage of the cattle production possibilities of ultra high-density grazing.” Barry O’Sullivan

Expected long-term benefits

The use of holistic planned and managed high-density herds of cattle will be part of the plan to assist graziers to improve their economic, social and environmental performance. Benefits are expected to include: • Improved production, income and profitability; • Improved soil health; • Increased biodiversity; • Practical, cost effective and innovative approaches to land management and restoration issues e.g. gully erosion

FAMILY... Barry O’Sullivan and sons Daniel (left) and Luke

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mitigation; and Improved water quality.

Showcasing to the broader community

Barry sits on the Grazing BMP Advisory Board and the North Queensland Beef Research Committee. The family have opened their property to other landholders at NQ Dry Tropics field days, with State Department programs, and for Grazing BMP events.

Business for 2012; • • •

The Grazing Industry Reef Rescue Award in 2013; The 2014 Rural Queensland Premier’s Sustainability Award; and Grazing BMP accreditation 2014.

Key Drivers of success

They have hosted an official tour by a previous Minister for Agriculture, Tony Bourke, and have featured on ABC radio and in newspaper articles.

Barry O’Sullivan said that the changes they have made to their practices demonstrate that anyone can turn any property around to become more profitable and sustainable by accessing the right information and support, which is all freely available to Queensland producers.

The O’Sullivans have received considerable recognition for their successful business operations, including: • The Paul F. Harris Award for Outstanding Achievement in

“Over the last decade, we went from being cattlemen, to grass farmers and then realising that we are actually soil farmers. Our future is the direct result of how we look after the soil.” Leanne O’Sullivan

Who are we?

NQ Dry Tropics is a community run, not-for-profit organisation that is a leading delivery agent of land and water management change across the Burdekin Dry Tropics region since 2005. We work across an area of approximately 146,000 square kilometres.

The Program

NQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable Agriculture program offers information, training and support to agricultural producers in the use of best management practices, for resilient landscapes and productive enterprises.

The Project

The three-year (2013-2016) Building Resilience in the Burdekin Grazing Industry project is funded through the Queensland Government Regional NRM Investment Program. The project involves a group of three landholders (managing over 56,000ha between them) trialling the Holistic Management approach to improve their economic, social and environmental performance. The project will demonstrate this approach in the priority Bowen Broken Bogie (BBB) basin to improve land condition, water resources and other environmental assets.

For more information NQ DRY TROPICS I TEL 07 4724 3544 I 2 MCILWRAITH STREET SOUTH TOWNSVILLE I WWW.NQDRYTROPICS.COM.AU

This project is supported by NQ Dry Tropics through funding from the Queensland Government’s Regional NRM Investment Program and the Australian Government Reef Programme.