Reef safe beef: Environmentally sensitive livestock management for the grazing lands of the great barrier reef catchments

Abstract

Extensive beef production is one of the major land uses of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments. Across Queensland it brings in over A$3 billion to the national economy annually and employs nearly 9000 people, many of them in rural communities. As well as being the major industry supporting economic activities and urban centres in remote rural Queensland, over 80% of terrestrial sediments and nutrients deposited in the GBR World Heritage Area, affecting the health of vulnerable reef ecosystems, originate from the extensive grazing lands of Queensland's interior. Recent research indicates that the quantity of sediments and nutrients lost from these grazing lands is strongly dependent upon grazing management practices which lead to degradation of soil and water resources, reduced infiltration and vegetation production. This has led to growing public concern about the environmental performance of the beef industry and increasing pressures on graziers to change their management practices to decrease off-property impacts. There is now an opportunity to assess options scientifically and provide guidance for the development of new on-property actions. These would be designed to allow an increase in profit from adopting sustainable grazing practices while reducing the off-property impacts of sediment and nutrient loss. In this chapter we argue that improvements in the quality of water draining into the GBR lagoon can best be achieved by demonstrating the productivity and economic benefits of science-based improved grazing management practices for graziers, leading to 'Win-Win' outcomes for all concerned.