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ABC News
a day ago
- Health
- ABC News
North Queensland grazier warns of blackleg disease after cattle die
North Queensland grazier Peter Finlay did routine checks on his weaner cattle, but two days later, nearly 40 were dead. "I was pretty gutted because I hate to lose one, but when you lose a whole mob like that," Mr Finlay said. Carcass testing found blackleg, a bacterial disease contracted from soil, to be the cause of death. Mr Finlay, from Torrens Creek, about 300 kilometres south-west of Townsville, was shocked by the findings. Blackleg is a spore-forming bacteria that primarily affects younger cattle. It is almost always fatal within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Cases have previously been reported in central and southern Queensland and New South Wales, but rarely in north Queensland. "I've been in this industry for 40-odd years, and we've never thought to have had the problem," Mr Finlay said. Hughenden veterinarian Libby Harriman said it was the first confirmed case for her client base in the Torrens Creek area. "Traditionally, we don't see a lot of blackleg in this area," Dr Harriman said. "But, we have heard of other cases towards Julia Creek, so anywhere along those lines is obviously in that 'at-risk area' now." She said outbreaks of the soil-borne bacteria often occurred after soil disturbances and rain. The north-west has had a favourable wet season, with monsoonal February rain saving what had been a dry 2024. When livestock eat contaminated feed or soil, spores enter the bloodstream, which leads to blood poisoning and rapid death. "But [cattle] can actually carry it in their system for a long time, until it's triggered by bruising or other muscle damage," Dr Harriman said. A Department of Primary Industries spokesperson said blackleg was an endemic disease in Queensland and was not a notifiable disease under the Biosecurity Act 2014, meaning producers were under no obligation to report it. They said veterinarians often diagnosed blackleg without departmental involvement, so department-recorded cases may not accurately reflect the incidence of disease in the field. "Current departmental diagnostic data does not show an increase in blackleg diagnoses compared to previous years," the spokesperson said. Dr Harriman said blackleg cases were not always reported. "Producers tend to be a little bit cautious about finding an infectious disease on their property for fear of being shut down by Biosecurity Queensland or something like that," she said. "It's just so important that producers do speak up about these sorts of things and contact your local vet." Symptoms of the disease include lameness in the hind legs, swelling in large muscles, fever, depression and refusal to eat. A distinctive symptom is also gas under the skin, which produces a crackling sound when the affected area is touched. The potentially fatal condition can be prevented with a vaccination, which Dr Harriman encouraged for all cattle, not just those in areas with known cases, as the disease often impacted large numbers at a time. While blackleg is not contagious from animal to animal, bacteria from a carcass can spread into the soil, which can then be contracted again. Dr Harriman recommended burning the affected carcass and not dragging it along the ground. Mr Finlay said his remaining 306 cattle looked healthy and had since been vaccinated. As he counted the cost of his loss, he encouraged other graziers to follow suit. "The alternative is just terrible," he said.
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Outback Queensland faces $80m bill to rebuild fencing after floods
Fencing double the length of Australia from east to west has been washed away in outback Queensland. Two months on from devastating flooding, the full extent of the damage is still unclear, but so far an estimated 8,000 kilometres of fencing has been damaged or destroyed. In recent weeks, graziers have been clearing debris and silt from fence lines, standing up fencing bent by the force of floodwater and removing fences that cannot be repaired. Grazier Ian Groves said it would be months before he could access parts of his Jundah property where the Barcoo and Thomson Rivers met. "We won't get into that river country until the end of winter," he said. Mr Groves estimated at least 40km of his fencing was destroyed. Half of that was boundary fencing, meaning there was nothing to keep his remaining stock inside his property. More than 200,000 livestock have died or are missing in Queensland's west, across an area twice the size of Victoria. While supply was not an issue yet, Natalie Dingle from a rural supplies shop said some materials would be hard to get, such as steel posts, drill stem, wiring and mesh. "Even prior to the flooding there was a bit of a wait on some products, especially exclusion fencing," she said. "That's probably going to be one of the biggest issues." Exclusion fencing is used to keep predators like wild dogs or pigs out of paddocks and has been credited with the survival of the local sheep industry. Since 2016, more than 9,000km of exclusion fencing has been built in Queensland, protecting almost 6 million hectares of land, costing landholders and the state government $91 million. "It's one of the more expensive ways of fencing, but it's worth every cent of it," Ms Dingle said. "These costs are going to knock them [graziers] around terribly. "They're the most positive people and they're tough — they just get on with it. "But it's going to have a big impact." The likely repair bill is well into the millions of dollars, according to south-west grazier Kylee Tindall-Smith. "[With] just a conservative estimate of $10,000 a kilometre, you're looking at a fencing bill of $80 million," she said. Ms Tindall-Smith said producers were on "the great Australian fence hunt" trying to assess the damage and locate their fence lines. "Without the fences, there's no livestock," she said. Ms Tindall-Smith has set up an initiative called Pay 4 A Panel to help ease the financial burden on producers looking down the barrel of repair bills in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The initiative invites people to call a participating rural agent and pay for a fence panel or contribute some money towards fencing equipment. "This is a way that we can really give farmers a leg up," Ms Tindall-Smith said. Jack Tuddenham runs a fencing contracting business out of Quilpie in south-west Queensland. He said the phone had been ringing off the hook, with jobs coming in thick and fast. But a lack of workers meant the rebuild would be delayed. "It's definitely going to take a couple of years," Mr Tuddenham said. "There's still a massive shortage of labour.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Australia braces for sharp temperature drop this weekend
Millions on Australia's east coast can expect a cold, wet and windy weekend in an unwelcome preview of what's in store for winter. The frigid weather will impact eastern parts of NSW and Queensland, while Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania will also be hit with an icy blast. Strong winds are set to batter the east coast sparking warnings of large swells, while further inland Canberra will see frosts. Tasmania could receive a dusting of snow and graziers have been warned to ensure sheep and cattle are protected from wind chill. 'Strong southeasterly winds are driving showers and rough seas along the northern coast of NSW and almost the entire coast of Queensland,' Bureau meteorologist Christie Johnson Meteorologist said. 'There, showers along the east coast will combine with rough seas and strong, gale force winds along the coast, however, inland we've got mostly sunny conditions that are generally close to the average. In NSW, there will be m ore frequent showers north of Sydney... and in the south some morning fog and frost patches before generally settled conditions.' Sydney Brisbane Melbourne Perth Hobart Darwin Saturday : Min 24 Max 34 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Sunday : Min 23 Max 33 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Monday : Min 24 Max 33 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 20 per cent. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane weather: Temperatures to plummet across Australia this weekend as wintery chill spreads across the country
Millions on Australia's east coast can expect a cold, wet and windy weekend in an unwelcome preview of what's in store for winter. The frigid weather will impact eastern parts of NSW and Queensland, while Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania will also be hit with an icy blast. Strong winds are set to batter the east coast sparking warnings of large swells, while further inland Canberra will see frosts. Tasmania could receive a dusting of snow and graziers have been warned to ensure sheep and cattle are protected from wind chill. 'Strong southeasterly winds are driving showers and rough seas along the northern coast of NSW and almost the entire coast of Queensland,' Bureau meteorologist Christie Johnson Meteorologist said. 'There showers along the east coast will combine with rough seas and strong, gale force winds along the coast, however, inland we've got mostly sunny conditions that are generally close to the average. 'In NSW, there will be more frequent showers north of Sydney... and in the south some morning fog and frost patches before generally settled conditions. Early morning frost and fog will also impact the ACT, Victoria, SA and Tasmania. Scattered showers on Mother's Day are expected along the east coast from south of Sydney through to the north of Queensland. The rest of the country can anticipate crisp and sunny weather. Sydney Saturday: Min 14 Max 22 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 3 mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent. Sunday: Min 16 Max 23 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 6 mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent. Monday: Min 15 Max 23 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 4 mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent. Brisbane Saturday: Min 16 Max 23 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 4 mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent. Sunday: Min 17 Max 24 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 5 mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent. Monday: Min 17 Max 25 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent. Melbourne Saturday: Min 7 Max 21 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Sunday: Min 9 Max 23 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Monday: Min 11 Max 23 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent. Adelaide Saturday: Min 10 Max 23 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Sunday: Min 13 Max 24 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Monday: Min 12 Max 24 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Perth Saturday: Min 15 Max 26 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent. Sunday: Min 14 Max 27 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Monday: Min 14 Max 29 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Hobart Saturday: Min 11 Max 18 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent. Sunday: Min 9 Max 18 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent. Monday: Min 9 Max 20 Partly cloudy. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 30 per cent. Sunday: Min 23 Max 33 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Climate
- News.com.au
Wild weather to smash the east coast
Showers and rough seas are set to smash a big portion of the eastern coast this weekend, while graziers have been told to keep an eye on their sheep due to extremely cold temperatures. Strong south-easterly winds are expected to hit the north of NSW coast and almost the entire coast of Queensland on Friday. The Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings for heavy winds on Friday for Byron and Coffs coast in NSW, and areas between Gold Coast right up to the North East Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland. While the wind and rain lashes down, Brisbane is looking to hit a top of 24C on Friday and Sunday, and 23C on Saturday, while further north in Cairns, temperatures will reach 27C and 28C. Queensland residents further inland will enjoy mostly sunny conditions. There has also been a warning issued for graziers in NSW and the ACT, as part of the Snowy Mountains are expected to be so frigid there may be a risk of losing lambs and sheep due to exposure. Canberra's capital will be exceptionally cold, with minimums as low as -2C expected on Friday. Fog and frost is expected each morning, but as the sun appears, the capital will reach 20C on most days over the weekend. Light showers are expected for Sydney all weekend, with the temperature incrementally warming from Friday to Sunday – maximums will reach 21C, 22C and then 23C. Tasmanians on the south east coast and south west coast have been warned to prepare for gale force winds on Friday, while a strong wind warning is also in place for regions surrounding the central west coast. Residents in Hobart can expect partly cloudy conditions from Friday to Sunday, and three days of 18C. The rest of the country is set to enjoy 'settled' weather, according to meteorologist Christie Johnson, due to a high pressure system moving from the Great Australian Bight towards Victoria. Melbourne and Adelaide will enjoy mostly sunny days with light winds, with maximum temperatures ranging between 21-23C and 22-24C respectively. Perth and Darwin will also enjoy sunny conditions with light winds, but much higher temperatures. The NT capital city will reach 34C most days, and residents in Perth will enjoy maximum temperatures between 26C and 31C.
