November 28, 2019
Beef producers Russell and Catriona Murdoch say the improvements they have made to their 1900ha property at Booubyjan have paid off … both financially and ecologically.
The couple were named as finalists this week in the Reef Champion Awards in Mackay.
Russell and Catriona implemented a rotational grazing program on their property, ‘Holroyd’, to protect riverbanks, cut erosion and reduce the direct impact of stock on natural waterways.
They say this led to an increase in groundcover of between 50 and 80 per cent across the property.
The Reef Champion Awards recognise individuals or organisations who have taken action to improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef.
The Murdochs moved to Booubyjan three years ago to expand their beef operation.
They say that when they arrived, the property had scalded patches of land and erosion.
They began to turn this around, working with private consultants Resource Consulting Services (RCS) to prioritise soil health.
The couple built fences to divide the property into smaller paddocks and added key water infrastructure.
“Russell and Catriona have wholeheartedly adopted a regenerative approach and it is paying clear dividends with a four-fold increase in pasture yield of the land under rotation and a change in groundcover from 50 to 80 per cent, despite ongoing drought conditions,” RCS director Dr Terry McCosker said.
The winners of the Reef Champion Sediment Award were Kate and Peter Waddell, from ‘Woodleigh’ cattle station near Ravenshoe.
