Secondary navigation

• Animals
  • Relief assistance
  • Identifying, moving & selling livestock
  • Agvet chemicals & residues
  • Animal health & diseases
  • Weeds, pest animals & ants
  • Animal welfare & ethics
  • Beef
    • Queensland's beef industry
    • Information for cattle producers
    • Net carbon position of the Queensland beef industry
  • Dairy
  • Pigs
  • Poultry
  • Sheep
  • Horses
  • Bees
  • Aquaculture
  • Other animals

Navigation path

CQ BEEF (Better Economic & Environmental Futures) project

CQ BEEF is an initiative of FutureBeef, which is part of the Queensland Government's Blueprint for the Bush - a 10-year plan to build a sustainable, liveable and prosperous rural Queensland. The project is managed by DEEDI in partnership with the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) and Central Queensland beef producers. The project also receives funding from the Caring for our Country (CfoC) Program and the Beef CRC.

The purpose of CQ BEEF is to achieve better economic and environmental futures for beef enterprises. Central Queensland is one of Australia´s key beef production regions with a herd of over 3 million head and an annual turnover in excess of $850 million; hence the long-term viability of beef enterprises is crucial to the beef industry and regional communities, as well as to Australia´s economy.

Producer groups at Bajool, Billaboo, Biloela, Broadsound, Mackay, Mackenzie River, Middlemount, Moura, and Rolleston are working with CQ BEEF staff to identify and implement strategies to improve their profitability and sustainability. The CQ BEEF team have the resources to be able to help producers assess the financial implications of changes in their business in relation to factors such as turn-off, marketing, property development, supplementary feeding, etc. As well as regular team meetings with a range of guest speakers, the groups undertake activities such as field days and property tours, and also develop producer demonstration sites to test key management strategies.

Comments from current CQ BEEF members:

"I think this is a fantastic project and a great help to the producers involved - it gives us more confidence when making management decisions." - Broadsound CQ BEEF group

"CQ BEEF is a good opportunity for like-minded people to get together and learn more about their business." - Rolleston CQ BEEF group

"CQ BEEF promotes co-operation and networking, encourages interaction between industry representatives and producers, and benefits the community." - Middlemount CQ BEEF group