Get reliable rangeland science

Productive rangelands are vital to the Northern Territory (NT) pastoral industry but require careful management of grazing pressure to prevent rangeland deterioration. This is generally the responsibility of station managers, who often began their careers as station hands. However, despite it being a large component of a pastoral business, rangeland management is not often included in station hand training. The NT Rangeland Management Course (RMC) aims to bridge knowledge and awareness gaps in grazing land management within the NT pastoral industry. The RMC is a free, one-day, on-station workshop, designed using hands-on, interactive learning for NT cattle station staff new to the region/industry. It is a series of classroom and paddock presentations and activities, covering topics including pasture composition and dynamics, land condition, carrying capacity, weeds and poisonous plants, cattle nutrition and using fire as a management tool. In 2021, the RMC was upgraded and expanded. Between 2022 and 2024, the course was attended by 219 staff from 25 cattle stations, representing over seven and a half million hectares of pastoral land. The feedback received from the NT RMC participants during this period indicated increase d interest in the topics covered, and suggested the course structure and delivery is effective in providing a practical introduction to rangeland management that is relevant to their station duties. The annual recruitment of new station hands and high turnover of staff in land management service delivery agencies means there will be an ongoing need and demand for the RMC in the future.