

'Armageddon': Graziers call for army after Qld flood kills 500,000 cattle

Mark Ludlow
Mark LudlowQueensland Bureau Chief

Julia Creek grazier Philip Curr said the army was needed to help clear up the "armageddon" of up to 500,000 dead cattle scattered across north-west Queensland following unprecedented floods earlier this month.

With federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud yet to release a federal assistance package to help Queensland graziers, Mr Curr said many farmers would not survive unless there was some significant federal help, including the army to help bury dead cattle and rebuild fences on thousands of kilometres of properties.

Mr Curr has lost an estimated 6000 of his 7000 steers on his properties, south of Julia Creek, after monsoon-like rain caused major flooding. It's still too wet to begin bury his beloved stock with each paddock providing a heart-breaking reminder of what he and his family have lost.

Dead cattle on grazier Phillip Curr's property, just some of the estimated 500,000 cattle killed in the north-west Queensland floods.  Laine Keough

"Just flying around and looking. It's bloody devastation. It's ridiculous. It looks like armageddon," Mr Curr told The Australian Financial Review.

"The smell [from the carcasses], it stinks out Julia Creek. All our sale cattle are gone. My next two years years income is gone. You can't win."


Mr Curr, who is also a councillor on McKinlay Shire Council, said farmers, who had been struggling with drought-like conditions for the past three years before the floods arrived, simply did not have the resources to deal with the thousands of dead carcasses that litter their properties.

"We need the army. No farmer has the resources or money to bury all these cattle. It's a huge job. We need an army of loaders. If we did it ourselves we'd be here three years," he said.

"If it's going to be an environmental clean-up they need to get the army involved because I can promise you this a mob of busted-old cockies aren't going to be able to do it."

Mr Curr is not alone. Farmers across the state's north-west in Cloncurry, Hughenden and Julia Creek are all in the same position. Most are in major debt to the banks and were hoping a good year would put them ahead. But now they are faced with the unenviable position of having to borrow more money to re-stock if they want to stay in the industry.

Other graziers who have leased property to gain a start in the industry are also struggling with debt, with last cent invested in building up their stock. Industry bodies say it will be at least $500 million in stock losses alone in north-west Queensland.

Apart from trying to keep his frail remaining stock alive, Mr Curran is talking to his bank about whether he can afford to re-stock or agistment where he would rent out his paddocks for someone else's cattle to use.

The Morrison government has announced $75,000 in grants to help graziers stay afloat but Mr Curr said it's not enough for bigger graziers.

"It might help someone who's got 25,000 acres to get things cleaned up. But it won't go very far with me. We've got about 300,000 to 400,000 acres to deal with," he said.


"We are waiting to see what the federal government comes up with, in terms of a package. That's what's going to make a big difference to our lives."

The Morrison government is also considering low-interest loans to help graziers get back on their feet, while banks are under pressure not to charge default interest on farmers who will struggle to repay loans over the next 12 months.

Rural lobby group AgForce estimates the final damage bill from fencing, dams, vehicles and public infrastructure such as railways, roads and bridges could be higher than $1 billion.

Grazier Anthony Anderson, who lost almost half of his 4000 head of cattle on four properties near Julia Creek, said he faced months of rebuilding 140 kilometres of fencing before he could even think of re-stocking or renting out his property to others.

Silt and mud from the floods, which covered 13 million hectares or twice the size of Tasmania, has also polluted paddocks reducing the likely re-growth of grass by two-thirds.

"Everything's annihilated. All the fencing that went across flood water is gone. We're all in the same position," he said.

Mark Ludlow

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