The Leading Sheep south west regional committee met with its new coordinator Ken Wilson in Charleville last Friday to identify priorities for workshops and information sessions planned for the region as part of this regionally-based sheep industry project.

Leading Sheep is an Australian Wool Innovation Limited initiative in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and supported by AgForce, which targets the adoption of new technologies and practices to increase the productivity and profitability of the Queensland sheep and wool industry.

In the next six months, the south west region is planning to organise workshops on how to wean more lambs, sheep nutrition, wild dog control options, and managing pastures and stocking rates.

“Another longer-term objective the group hopes to achieve through the Leading Sheep project is a means of documenting, and therefore demonstrating, the industry’s environmental credentials in terms of animal welfare and natural resource management,” Mr Wilson said.

Members of the south-west regional committee are: Mark Lyons from “Brumich”, Augathella, Kathy Schmidt from “Wallen”, Cunnamulla, Will Roberts from “Victoria Downs”, Morven, Sue Stirton from “Armoobilla”, Cheepie, and Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries sheep extension officer Guy Newell.

Ken Wilson is currently based at Bollon and has wide-ranging experience in arid zone grazing industries, extensive grazing property management and animal husbandry, sheep nutrition, reproduction, general husbandry and management.

Ken has worked for a range of different groups, including DPI&F, and is currently chairman of the Bollon South Water Authority. In 1983, Ken implemented and developed the WESTECH Field Days, which continue to run every three years in Barcaldine, and is a life member of WESTECH Field Days Inc.

The other Leading Sheep regions are the central west, southern inland and south east, and all have regional committees and coordinators, who help identify and implement chosen activities such as training, workshops, field days, on-property demonstrations and information forums.

Leading Sheep has a three-year budget of $2.4 million that includes $1 million funding from AWI and $1.4 million in-kind support from DPI&F and AgForce.