CASE STUDIES
Case Studies
Dryland Sorghum cropping – Floravale
Ernie and his wife Kylie own Floraville Station, a 94,000 hectare property on the banks of the Leichardt River, in the Queensland Gulf. Ernie and his family are fourth generation residents who manage approximately 8,500 head of cattle across the black soil plains of Floraville station in the remote community of Burketown.
The Gulf Savannah is an agricultural powerhouse for cattle industries and has a rich potential for cropping developments with an abundance of water and a functioning port providing potential access to Asian markets. With the increased focus on the development of Northern Australia, there is a wealth of opportunities for agricultural diversification into cropping. Ernie is a pioneer in the region, speaking with the ABC as livestock producers diversify with Ernie voicing the Gulf region’s potential to be the “food bowl to Asia".
For the first time in history, Ernie Camp harvested 2,500 hectares of top-grade sorghum in the Gulf in 2022. Australia is one of the biggest exporters of sorghum, which is primarily produced in the northern regions of the east coast. After producing and harvesting high-grade sorghum, Ernie said that the future for grain production and cropping in northern Queensland is bright.
Crop development application process
The crop was the first joint venture between Ernie and sharefarmer Harry Pye who is an experienced agronomist and crop farmer from Walgett in NSW. Ernie said cropping on Floraville was made possible by Mr. Pye and believes “there’s a great future in cropping, but it would be foolish of me to try to do it by myself; I'm not a farmer”. Ernie and Harry started by conducting a detailed evaluation of the farm design and layout including boundaries and area of each field or block that has potential for development; row direction; drainage areas; existing infrastructure such as buildings; access tracks; dams etc.
Following on from this Ernie and Harry conducted a land resource and capability analysis which involved analysing soil type across the site; topography; drainage; crop suitability; and potential water sources. Upon evaluation, both Harry and Ernie narrowed down the cropping options to either chickpeas, cotton, or sorghum. Drought hardiness was a major deciding factor, however, other impacts such as weather, rainfall and input and production costs were also considered
External factors such as demand from the local and international beef industry, and the protein drought in the natural grasses in the gulf region were also major determining factors.
Approvals
Natural resource features
Ernie went through a rigorous process with an ecological surveying and management company to identify all environmental impacts the development may have on native flora and fauna. This was conducted as per the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Ernie was successful in obtaining property specific regulated vegetation and essential habitat reports from the Department of Resources. These included detailed analysis of essential habitat, vegetation categories, regional ecosystems, watercourses, and wetlands that the development has potential to impact. Upon successful identification of the vegetation classification and the ability to clear the land, Ernie was able to apply for a permit to clear the remnant vegetation present on the development site. Ernie notes that you are not permitted to clear regulated vegetation without a development approval under the Planning Act 2016 (QLD). Prior to undertaking any clearing of regulated vegetation, it is strongly recommended that a desktop vegetation management assessment is obtained from a vegetation management expert.
Natural hazard mapping
In a similar process as that undertaken for natural resource features, Ernie ensured that all regulatory requirements regarding the potential for natural hazards were identified and that compliance was factored into the new development. Environmental experts are available to assist in gathering this information, as well as publicly available platforms such as Q-Globe[GD1] and the Development Assessment Mapping System[GD2] via the QLD Government website. The maps and information regarding natural resource features within the farm boundary provide context for farm planning and to identify sensitive areas and risks. Site considerations that were made at Floraville station prior to development included groundwater depth, salinity hazard, and monitoring points; flood risk; storm tide; bushfire hazard; erosion risk; acid sulphate soils; and other areas of concern. Ernie sought professional advice through a private Agricultural and Business Advisor as well as assistance from representatives at the Department of Resources Vegetation Hub.
Dryland cotton – Etta Plains
The Findley family are pioneers in Queensland’s Gulf catchment, growing the first ever commercial crop of irrigated cotton on their property, Etta Plains, 125km north of Julia Creek. Positioned directly in the fertile, self-mulching cracking clay soils of the Gulf Country of North-West Queensland in Northern Australia, present owners the Findley’s are also successful cattle producers. They have recognised that this particular property (Etta Plains), one of a number they own, has significant irrigation and cropping potential.
Both the Australian Federal Government and the Queensland State Government are promoting agriculture as a growth pillar for the economy, and both have identified Northern Australia as an area to invest in.
Primary considerations when looking to develop into cropping?
Landforms and soil types
The majority of the property is treeless plains of moderately deep brown and grey cracking clays (Vertosols) that generally exhibit self-mulching surface soils, and uniform light-medium clay textures through the profile. These profiles are typically 1.5 to 3 metres deep and have developed from a Allaru mudstone. The cropping site sits upon the Balbirini/Georgina landform which is comprised of gently undulating plains with even slopes between 0 to 3%. The Findley’s had their soil and land surveyed to identify the major soil types and soil profiles. This is a regulated requirement, but more importantly, allowed the Findley’s to make informed decisions regarding crop selection, drainage, irrigation options, and assess potential environmental impacts such as erosion, runoff and salinity. Cropping opportunities Lucas Findley has a long history growing irrigated cotton on his family’s holding in the Namoi Valley, NSW. When presented with the potential development and high-quality property with excellent soils and water availability in a region that is on the verge of becoming a new growth and development area, it was a sound decision to invest. The Findley’s applied for a water allocation and licence in the first tender round of the Queensland Government’s water allocation in the Flinders catchment and were successful in purchasing 32,000 megaltires. This allowed them to explore a range of different cropping options without water being a limiting factor to production and yield. Some of the opportunities the Findley’s considered beneficial when determining crop suitability included: • 28,442 hectares for growth and expansion potential; • 19, 500 hectares of potential cropping land; o 9,500 hectares of potential irrigation development; o 10,000 hectares of dry-land cropping; • Ability to Gravity Fill off-stream storages; • Efficient irrigation design coupled with soil analysis; • Very little to no clearing costs due to the abundance of flat, correctly sloping, black soil, natural downs country suitable for flood irrigation; • Self-mulching cracking clay soils offering a range of cropping options; and • The Flinders and Cloncurry River Systems borders the proposed development site giving the ability to take from both river Systems.
Development application requirements
Lucas Findlay and his family undertook the appropriate investigative process which included:
-
Determining the preferred site and providing detailed cadastral maps of both his property in relation to the region as well as the proposed site within his property;
-
Detailed soils map of the site; and
-
Vegetation classification maps.
Water efficiency
Growing cotton in a tropical monsoon environment presents challenges around managing intense storm events, that can lead to run-off, erosion, and put pressure on pump returns. One advantage of bankless channels is the ability to hold the water in-field and allow the heavy vertosol soils to absorb the water and utilise the 300mm Plant Available Water holding Capacity (PAWC), which has efficiency benefits for cropped fields, or those in fallow. Lucas commented: “I monitor my pump height thresholds during a storm event, unlike a furrow irrigated system where your tailwater return can be easily overwhelmed by stormwater. During an irrigation season, at a guess I would say we are reticulating 20-30% less water than I expected”.
Value creation of higher productivity
A co-benefit of choosing an efficient irrigation layout can flow on to the balance sheet at some point in the future. Lucas feels that water and labour productivity measures will be reflected in the overall value of his farming development. “Although bankless channels use slightly more land, there is growing evidence that a more efficient and productive layout will command a premium for siphon irrigation farms, and with rural labour tightening and more economic pressure to use water wisely, that theory stands to reason.
Dryland cotton – Inverleigh
Inverleigh Station is an iconic pastoral property in the lower Gulf owned and operated by Judy Fry and her sons, Darren and Raymond (Snow) Heslin. Judy has been a grazier and business person in the lower Cape and Gulf for more than 50 years. Both Darren and Snow are firmly committed to a custodian role for Inverleigh while being mindful of opportunities to improve the enterprise, explore new markets and initiatives, and support development in the Gulf region.
Inverleigh is approximately 750,000 acres of mostly open grass country alongside the Flinders River. Typically, there are approximately 20,000 head of cattle located on the property, mostly for live export. Inverleigh Pastoral Company has, from time to time, trialled some cropping activities for fodder and is now exploring, in a joint venture, the possibility of larger scale agriculture and commercial cropping. The joint venture partner, Resurgo, is represented by Brendan Oswald, experienced cropping operator from the Western Darling Downs.
The joint venture is at the inception stage and Inverleigh and Resurgo are exploring the best way forward to navigate the environmental and regulatory complexities in order to uncover a commercially viable, sustainable, and profitable cropping enterprise. It is most likely that dry land cotton would be the joint objective based on information currently available, and the resources and skills of each of the parties are well positioned for that type of operation.
Northern cotton industry - Namoi Cotton
Land suitability to support development of a cotton gin
Commercial cotton crops have been trialled in both the Gilbert and Flinders River catchments (e.g., Stranbroke and Silver Hills Stations). However, without sufficient scale to support a local gin, cotton production would be expected to be uneconomic.
The concept of developing a cotton gin in Far North / North-West Queensland has been previously contemplated by multiple proponents to increase the supply-chain efficiency of cotton cropping in this region. This has included the potential for a modular style gin in the vicinity of Richmond and as a component of Stanbroke’s Three Rivers Irrigation Project, which is now a lapsed co-ordinated project. However, reflecting the chicken and egg scenario with production, a cotton gin is unviable without the confidence that production could be scaled up to achieve minimum viable operating levels.
To be viable, investment in a gin must be sustainably supported by the reliable production of 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of cotton cropping generating approximately 100,000 bales per annum with average yields in the order of 9 to 10 bales per hectare. In order to provide confidence in cotton production potential, Namoi Cotton commissioned a study in relation to potential cotton production areas in Far North and North-West Queensland. Among other things this study assessed the potential extent of land available and suitable for cotton production within an economic transport distance around six “nodes” distributed across the Gulf Coast and Cape York region. Within areas suitable for cotton production, expected yield was modelled, and potential long-term climate change impacts on yield forecast. The study also carried out a multi-criteria analysis to evaluate and rank regions in terms of their viability to support a cotton growing and processing industry. This considered 15 factors across the categories of land viability, water availability and production risks and opportunities. The study recognised that successful schemes have typically been built on local farming capacity, noting that cropping systems will likely adapt over time to emergent markets and developing supply chains and logistics as local capacity builds in terms of skills and knowledge. Land capability maps illustrating the extent of land suitable for potential cotton production, and indicative yield for irrigated and dryland cotton, are presented in the following diagrams.
Spacial vibration in estimated irrigated yield assuming 25% yield penalty for humid areas
Spacial variation in estimated in estimated drylands yields
Regulated vegetation considerations for irrigated cotton development
The capacity for development of new irrigation areas throughout Queensland is, among other things, regulated by the requirement for vegetation clearing. Under the Queensland Vegetation Management Act, the clearing of regulated vegetation for agricultural development is considered a Relevant Purpose. Assessment and approval of vegetation clearing by the Coordinator General can be a long process requiring a number of years. Under the State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP): State Code 16, applicants for coordinated projects involving agriculture must demonstrate that the land is suitable for the proposed crop(s). Relevant native vegetation includes Category A, B, C and R vegetation. The extent of regulated vegetation on Cape York is illustrated in the figure below. This figure indicates that the majority of the Cape is regulated and subject to an extended approval pathway to clearing for irrigated cotton development.
Study conclusions
The study found adequate areas of land capable of supporting a gin based on irrigated cotton around all nodes investigated, but dryland cotton was only viable around the Mareeba, Burdekin and St Ronans nodes. A secondary benefit of cotton production for ginning is cotton seed by-product, which could be made available to the local grazing industry as a feed supplement. Notwithstanding adequate land suitable for cotton production, the extent of regulated vegetation is a hurdle that will require Coordinator General approval and may involve an extended approval pathway to clearing approvals for irrigated development. Dryland farming may be able to avoid clearing on designated grasslands where trees are sparse, but any tree clearing on non-grasslands will require the same approval as for irrigated developments.
Irrigated horiculture -
Fifteen Mile Irrigated Agricultural Development project
Flinders Shire Council has developed the 15 Mile, using local underground water to lure Victorian company Marciano Table Grapes to Hughenden. Australian-grown grapes are unavailable several months every year. The project aims to exploit Hughenden's climate fill help fill this key gap in the Australian spring, replacing Californian imports. Mildura-based Marciano is investing $10 million in developing an initial 60-hectare farm, dam, packing shed, worker accommodation and machinery, with a total of 300 hectares of land potentially available for development. The first vines were planted in spring 2021, with first harvest in October, November 2022. Flinders Shire invested $4.5 million in the 15 Mile, with assistance from Queensland's Department of State Development after the project was declared a coordinated project in August 2018, and was subsequently reviewed and approved by the Queensland Coordinator General. Some financial assistance was also provided from the state's Jobs and Regional Growth Fund. In an interview with the ABC, mayor Jane McNamara noted that it was over a decade from the initial concept to project realisation. The project will support about 34 full-time equivalent jobs, with up to 150 positions during the three-month annual harvest window. Flinders Hire Council considers the project a pilot project for the proposed $300 million Hughenden Irrigation Project HIPCo, involving a dam of 60,000 to 80,000 megalitres on the Flinders River.
The Honourable Cameron Dick
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
Queensland’s independent Coordinator-General has declared Flinders Shire Council’s proposed 918-hectare irrigated agricultural development a coordinated project, to create jobs and drive sustainable economic activity in the region.
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said if approved, the proposed 15 Mile Irrigated Agricultural Development Project on the banks of the Flinders River near Hughenden would create an initial 60-hectares of irrigated land for table grapes and 60-hectares of citrus crops for market.
“Declaring this project a coordinated project will help streamline approvals and fast-track delivery of this regionally significant project,” he said. “A coordinated project approach also means that all the potential impacts and benefits of the project are considered in an integrated and comprehensive manner. “This project will make a significant contribution to the regional economy, requiring an investment of up to $47 million at full development”.
Mr Dick said council is currently working with a number of private investors, with a few already committed, to realise the full potential of the development. “If approved, Flinders Shire Council would be a step closer to creating five full-time jobs a year during the construction and establishment phase,” he said. “Once fully operational the initial 120-hectare development will generate 72 full-time jobs.
“It’s no secret that times have been tough with the region experiencing negative population growth for the past 10 years.”
Flinders Shire Council Mayor Cr Jane McNamara welcomed the declaration saying this regionally significant project will increase agriculture production along the Flinders River. “Council revitalised this project as we could see the benefits it will bring to the region and have been progressively engaging with private investors to bring it to fruition,” Cr McNamara said. “We look forward to working with the State Government, and our private investors, on this project that we believe can be replicated across Queensland.”
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the project could provide numerous flow-on employment and economic benefits for the Flinders community. “There is great untapped agricultural potential in Hughenden; we want to unlock those opportunities to diversify and build greater economic depth in the region,” Mr Furner said. “The agriculture and horticulture industries make a fundamental contribution to the local economy and often rely on seasonal workers, in everything from picking fruit to manning the bar at the local pub.”
The project also includes a co‐use cooling, packaging and logistics facility, staff amenities and machinery and chemical storage sheds.
Flinders Shire Council will now undertake an impact assessment report (IAR) to investigate the potential impacts of the project including impacts on the project’s environmental values.
This project progresses the Palaszczuk Government’s plan for the economic development of north-west Queensland by diversifying the regional economy and is consistent with Advancing North Queensland: Investing in the future of the north.
For more information visit www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/15mile