August 5, 2026
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has welcomed new measures by the State Government which aim to strengthen cattle tick management and support local producers.
These include the appointment of a dedicated Biosecurity Inspector in Kingaroy.
The changes follow an independent review of Queensland’s cattle tick management system in the wake of the Taroom outbreak earlier this year.
The review identified opportunities to strengthen surveillance, compliance, communications and governance.
Key measures included:
- A dedicated Biosecurity Inspector based in Kingaroy as part of three new inspector positions across Queensland
- An increase in treatment subsidies from 10 per cent to 25 per cent for eligible producers in the tick-free zone
- Greater access to Restricted Places Register information to help producers manage local risk while protecting privacy
- Improvements to the Accredited Certifier model to strengthen consistency and integrity
- Increased surveillance and stronger compliance targeting high-risk cattle movements
- Continued investment in research and innovation, including improved diagnostic testing and future vaccine research.
“We’ve listened to the concerns of graziers on both sides of the tick line and responded with practical measures that strengthen biosecurity, improve support for producers and build confidence in the system,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The appointment of a dedicated Biosecurity Inspector in Kingaroy is a significant boost for local producers and demonstrates our commitment to protecting one of the South Burnett’s most important industries.
“The overwhelming majority of producers do the right thing every day. We’ll continue backing them, while ensuring Biosecurity Queensland has the tools it needs to protect the wider industry.”
Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said integrity in the cattle tick management system had eroded and a breakdown in trust flourished under the former Labor Government.
“The integrity of the tick line must be maintained which is why I have moved to strengthen it with more boots on the ground, greater transparency, more surveillance, faster investigation and response times, greater support for producers and a stronger compliance approach to protect Queensland’s cattle industry,” Minister Perrett said.
- External link: Cattle Tick Zones and Movement Requirements
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