Climate positions available to help northern Australia’s grazing industry

Applications are open for seven part-time climate project officer positions which will help Northern Australian producers better manage drought and climate risks and boost productivity.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development Mark Furner said successful applicants would be trained and mentored to deliver new and improved climate information and forecasts for the grazing industry.

“These project officers will engage with producers to improve climate variability knowledge and skills to help producers manage both the good and poor years,” the Minister said.

“They will be mentored by an experienced team of climate risk management researchers from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and grazing industry extension officers.

“These positions will be based in central Queensland, north Queensland, south-west Queensland, north-west Queensland, Barkly Tableland, and Victoria River/east Kimberley. I encourage anyone with a passion for the grazing industry and improving management of climate risk to apply.”

University of Southern Queensland’s Director of the Centre for Applied Climate Science Professor Roger Stone said high variability of annual rainfall in northern Australia caused major swings in the productivity of pastoral enterprises.

“Better seasonal forecasts and improved management of the likely impacts of this climate variability could lead to reduction in risk in the potentially poor years and increased pastoral profitability in the good years,” Professor Stone said.

Minister Furner said these positions were part of the $8 million Northern Australian Climate Program (NACP) that helped the grazing industry better manage drought and climate risks through a range of research, development and extension activities.

“NACP is a partnership between the Queensland Government, Meat and Livestock Australia Donor Company (MDC), and USQ, with extra on-ground support from the Northern Territory and Western Australian governments and Rangelands NRM,” Minister Furner said.

“NACP researchers work with leading national and international climate modellers to improve seasonal and longer-term climate forecasting to boost producers’ productivity through better climate risk management tools, digital technologies and more climate savvy producer networks.

“NACP is one of nine current projects of the $17.5m Drought and Climate Adaptation Program (DCAP) and is bringing together the best climate scientists, climate advisers, and cutting-edge researchers in the state, nationally and globally to help Queensland primary producers better manage drought and climate impacts.”

For more information on the project officer roles visit https://www.usq.edu.au/jobs. Applications close 22 April.

For more information on NACP or DCAP visit www.longpaddock.daf.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.

ENDS

Media – Tim Auguston 0417 768 626