Around the Camp: Year of rangelands, Morven Maremmas, More from Sheep, Deep Dive on flood support

  1. Quick picks: Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, Morven Maremmas, Wool Industry Medal, Making More from Sheep
  2. Deep dive: Flood support
  3. Upcoming events
  4. Podcasts, eBulletins and surveys

Quick picks:

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026: Australia is celebrating the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026, highlighting the importance of our vast rangelands which cover 75% of our land mass. While often called the outback, Australia’s rangelands encompass grasslands, open plains, deserts and savannahs. The celebration will focus on pastoralists—the diverse people who manage livestock, pastures and water in these regions. Known internationally by many names (herder, cowboy, drover, shepherd), these stewards include Indigenous peoples whose land management practices are a key focus. IYRP 2026 events will build understanding of pastoralist life, share management stories, and showcase innovative technologies supporting productivity and biodiversity. you’re passionate about Australian rangelands and sustainable agriculture, contact Dana Kelly (dana@danamkelly.com) to share your story and get involved.

Queensland producers fight wild dogs with Maremmas: It’s great to see Queensland producers sharing their stories. Merino woolgrower and veterinarian Julie Brown,  her brother Bill and parents Peter and Marie Crook-King, employ Maremma livestock guardian dogs on their 30,000 hectare property ‘Glenorie’, 85km south of Morven. After devastating losses to predators in 2013/14 (900 adult sheep and most lambs), the family implemented a three-pronged approach: exclusion fencing with neighbours, trapping, and investing in Maremma guardian dogs. This innovative approach is proving successful against the region’s predators, which include wild dogs, foxes, feral pigs and eagles. Read the full story here in the latest issue of Beyond the Bale.

Australian Wool Industry Medal nominations now open: Recognise outstanding contributors to our wool industry by nominating someone for the 2025 Australian Wool Industry Medal. This annual award celebrates the dedication of leading contributors, achievers, stalwarts and innovators who have made exceptional contributions to Australian wool. Nominations close COB Monday 30th June 2025. Honour someone who has made a difference in our industry by nominating them today. Submit nominations to wia@woolindustries.org with subject “AWIM NOMINATION” or for more information click here.

Making More from Sheep: These valuable resources have had a refresh and are now available on AWI’s Woolmark Learning Centre. Wherever you’re at in your production calendar, there are modules for you, including Wean More Lambs, Market Focused Wool Production and a pastoral zone focused Efficient Pastoral Production module.

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Deep dive: Flood support   

It has been a tough month for many of our sheep and wool producers following extensive flooding in western Queensland, with long roads to full recovery still ahead for some.

Visit the Business Queensland website for more information on managing disease and health concerns in animals after a flood.

Here is a summary of the support available and ongoing animal health considerations.

Diseases to keep watching for:

  • Foot abscesses – keep an eye out for lameness and pare feet to drain and clean infected areas.
  • Worm burdens will be increasing following suitable conditions, especially if stock were confined for more than a week. Do a worm egg count to inform treatment needs. 
  • Lumpy wool is caused by prolonged wetness leading to skin infections. Some cases will cure themselves, others may require veterinary support. Everyone will be on alert for flystrike too, though cooler weather is helping.
  • Toxic plants – look for anything different including stock grazing plants they wouldn’t normally graze. Mould growing in pasture can also cause disease.
  • Some infectious diseases can be prevented through vaccination, such as blackleg (characterised by fever, sudden death, swelling and rapid bloating of carcass after death), Leptospirosis (characterised by fever, abortion and sometimes death) and Botulism (characterised by paralysis and death, spread by decaying plant/animal matter). These diseases may continue to be of risk for some time following a flood so consider vaccination at your next muster.
  • Insect borne diseases
    • Bluetongue can cause fever, difficulty breathing, swelling and inflammation of the face and other areas, and abortion. There is little to be done to prevent this condition, but it is a notifiable disease as it can impact our trade.
    • Akabane can also cause abortions as well as foetal deformities. There is no successful treatment or means of control. In areas where these diseases are known to be endemic, breeding stock should be introduced at an early age to gain immunity prior to joining.
  • If you’re considering restocking, have a think about any risks you may be able to mitigate before you bring in new stock. This Ready for restocking resource may be useful.

For any unusual or notifiable diseases, use the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888. Biosecurity officers can also support diagnosis of disease outbreaks, alternatively contact your local veterinarian. Many of these conditions can also affect humans so consider your own safety and hygiene and that of family members and workers. You may need to dispose of carcasses if they present a disease risk to humans or other animals, for example, when they are close to water points or homes. Before you consider moving any dead animals, it’s important to consider your own safety first.

Supplementary feeding may still be required to support stock recovering body condition, where pastures haven’t yet recovered or pregnancy/lactation mean requirements are high. Contact our team for support to determine stock requirements and discuss suitable feeding options.

Please contact our team if we can help you with any decisions around livestock health, nutrition and production management.

Farm planning might also be important as you work out how to make the best decisions you can going forwards. The Grazing Futures Livestock Business Resilience project can help you get started with planning and connect you with advisors depending on what your needs are. If you are planning infrastructure, there are plenty of mapping programs for farming, but don’t discount the free ones like Google Earth Pro. Here is a tutorial to get you started.

Financial support is also available to eligible producers:

Find more information on support for agribusiness for the Western Queensland floods on the Business Queensland website, including who can help with applications.

Lastly, keep looking after yourself. Our team have heard so many times “I’m not the worst off, I’m worried about my neighbour”. It’s a beautiful show of country generosity but give yourself some love too. There are a few different ways to get advice including Head to health (a free mental health service) or Lifeline 13 11 14, and you can also use any of these services if you are worried about someone else too.

Written by project leader Andrea McKenzie.

Upcoming Leading Sheep events

  • POSTPONED. Leading Sheep Forum, Longreach. Delivered by DPI. New date to be confirmed, find out more here.

Upcoming events

  • 6-8 May. Business fundamentals, Brisbane. Delivered by RCS. Register here.
  • 6 May. Carbon and your ag business – realities, opportunities, risks and guidance, Winton. Delivered by AgForce. Register here.
  • 6 May. Using eID for profit and productivity, webinar. Delivered by AWI Extension WA. Register here.
  • 7 May. Carbon and your ag business – realities, opportunities, risks and guidance, Boulia and Blackall. Delivered by AgForce. Register here for Boulia and here for Blackall.
  • 8 May. Carbon and your ag business – realities, opportunities, risks and guidance, Tambo and Longreach. Delivered by AgForce. Register here for Tambo and here for Longreach.
  • 13 May. Grazing business resilience, Toogoolawah. Delivered by Healthy Land & Water and the DPI. Register here.
  • 14 May. Holistic grazing and profit planning, Miles. Delivered by Australian Holistic Management Co-op. Register here.
  • 20 May. Drench resistance and controlling worms this winter, webinar. Delivered by AWI Extension NSW. Register here.
  • 20 May. Reporting and reducing farm greenhouse gas emissions, Dulacca. Delivered by DPI. Register here.
  • 2-6 June. International Rangeland Congress, Adelaide. Register here.
  • 3 June. AgCarE Natural Capital, Toowoomba. Delivered by AgForce at FarmFest. Register here.
  • 4 June. Carbon and your ag business – realities, opportunities, risks and guidance, Toowoomba. Delivered by AgForce. Register here.
  • 5-6 June. Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network Conference, Rockhampton. Register here.
  • 17-19 June. Grazing Land Management EDGE, Charleville. Delivered by DPI. Register here.
  • 17-18 June. Nutrition EDGE, Surat. Delivered by Desiree Jackson Livestock Management. Register here.
  • 17 June. Sucess with grazing winter crops. Delivered by AWI Extension NSW. Register here.

Save the dates

  • 21 May. Strategic weed management, Mitchell. Delivered by SQ Landscapes.
  • 12 June. Making Maidens Weight Producer Demonstration Site field day, central west. Delivered by DPI. Information to come.
  • 30-31 July. GroWQ Ag Innovation Expo: Talks, Tech, Trade Displays, Longreach. Delivered by GroWQ. Information to come.
  • 3 October. GroWQ Next Gen Event: Grassroots Growth in the Grazing Industry, Longreach. Delivered by GroWQ. Information to come.

Podcasts, eBulletins and surveys

Don’t forget to complete the Disaster Impact Survey for the Western Queensland floods. Even if you don’t know the full extent, you can complete what you know and complete it again when you have more information.

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