White Kangaroo grazier John Skinner ( left ) with Senior Grazing Field Officer , Brad Martin .
Infrastructure accelerates management changes at White Kangaroo
Landholders Driving Change project participants John and Bree Skinner of White Kangaroo Station , near Bowen , were supported to fast-track plans to build a more resilient landscape and grazing enterprise .
New fencing and water infrastructure allowed them to fine-tune grazing management through grazing rotation to rest paddocks .
Mr Skinner said the new grazing system was the single biggest change they had made to overall herd and pasture management .
“ Historically , continuous grazing put pressure on preferred grasses which meant the more productive parts of the paddocks were left short leading into the dry season ,” he said .
“ We now have better control over that pasture and can reduce grazing pressure to allow it to regenerate . It also makes mustering easier .
“ We ’ ve got plans to increase the number of paddocks and to use larger mobs of cattle grazing smaller paddocks in rotation , giving them longer to rest which will eventually allow us to increase carrying capacity .
“ We want to use spelling to improve the bulk and composition of pastures and to improve land condition .
“ NQ Dry Tropics also helped us equip an existing bore with a solar pump that provides water to several paddocks . This is helping enormously .”
JOHN SKINNER , WHITE KANGAROO STATION
12 NQ DRY TROPICS | YEAR IN REVIEW 2023-24