This project worked closely with landholders and developed case studies regarding effective business practices to improve the overall profitability and sustainability of Burdekin beef businesses.

Approximately 90 per cent of the Burdekin Catchment area is utilised for extensive cattle grazing.  There are about 500 commercial grazing enterprises that range in size between 10,000 and 50,000 hectares and run 2,000 to 5,000 head of cattle. 

Managing for climate and market variability is a challenge to the sustainability and profitability of grazing enterprises within the catchment.  Land degradation has attracted attention to the area since the mid 1980's and continues to today. There is wide-spread concern that increased loads of pollutants in local waterways, such as sediment and nutrient, may negatively affect the estuaries and in-shore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. 

This project was developed to assist beef producers develop practical responses to a range of production and grazing land management challenges in the Burdekin catchment of North Queensland. The project involved three groups of beef producers encompassing 19 enterprises, 680,000 hectares of land and the management of 162,000 cattle. Funding and support for the project was provided by  NQ Dry Tropics , the Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries, and the Beef Cooperative Research Centres Beef Profit Partnerships Project.

Project evaluation shows this project has had a strong impact on the producers involved at both a personal and enterprise level. Importantly the link between increased profitability and better land management has been established for many producers. This learning is reflected in the decisions producer participants are now making about their grazing practices.

An important outcome of the project is that the link between increased profitability and better land management has now been established in the outlook of producers.  This is reflected in the management decisions, actions and planning they are now undertaking.