25 May 2026. Louise Martin, AgForce South West Queensland Regional Director.
What a variable season we have been having here in the South West! I guess it is not surprising considering the vast area we cover.
We have had an excellent season so far in the far west and channel country as well as around Augathella and Charleville. However, much of the South West has had a below average rainfall season and many of our members have swung into full drought relief mode. Hopefully some decent rainfall comes soon to those who have missed out.
AgForce Southern Inland Queensland combined forces with AgForce South West to host a series of online drought resilience workshops jointly funded by the FRRR and UNISQ, which were very well attended with a lot of collaboration. The initiative was perfectly timed considering the patchy season we’ve had out here in the South West.
Ironically some Augathella and Charleville producers are now doing bushfire mitigation because of the large amount of grass that has grown throughout the area. To help with this preparation - Vege fire mapping workshops are coming to the south - May 26th at Cunnamulla, May 27th at Toompine and May 28th at Cooladdi.
Complicating matters of course is the ongoing rollout of changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act which is still causing great confusion in the South West, along with other parts of Queensland. AgForce is still working through the issues with the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) but as yet nothing is set in stone, creating more uncertainty.
Unfortunately, the decline in tourism across the South West, largely brought on by fuel supply uncertainty and rising prices, has really hit agritourism ventures hard, and western communities as a whole. We are doing our best to reassure tourists that there’s still plenty to come out and enjoy and see, to keep our local economies going.
At times like this it’s important to celebrate the positives.
AgForce SW recently co-hosted the South West Careers Fair in Charleville which was a huge success. High school students from across the South West attended the event including from Charleville School of Distance Education, Quilpie and Cunnamulla along with the Charleville School. The variety of career opportunities on display was impressive and several universities took part, and other organisations showcasing Robotics and Agricultural activities such as shearing and cattle work.
AgForce was proudly represented at the MLA BeefUp Forum in Morven which attracted more than 100 people.
We’ve also had positive interactions with DPI biosecurity representatives who are currently touring the South West. There are a number of issues affecting DPI at the moment - particularly the frontline officers. Unnecessary red tape is proving to be a burden that is impeding progress and productivity at a time when we could really do with more assistance rather than obstructions.