SHEEP are about to return to Charleville and the mayor reckons they will spark a revival in the western Queensland town.
Charleville had six shearing teams back when the Queensland economy rode on the sheep's back, while nearby Morven had two teams.
Sheep had fallen out of favour, but successful trials of "cluster fencing" promise to put the industry, and Charleville, back on the map.
It's a story that unfolded at an afternoon tea for Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk in Charleville's main street.
The tall cluster fences feature spikes on top and a section that goes underground, keeping dingos, kangaroos and wild pigs out of good sheep country.
Almost 2000 kilometres of the fences have been built around Charleville.
It means you will have your shearers in town, wool classers, all the workers at the hotels
Two men now say the scheme - backed by a $3.8 million state government grant to an organisation called South West NRM - is beginning to flourish.
Charleville Mayor Dennis Cook said early trials showed the shearing teams would soon be back in Charleville.
He said the return of sheep to Western Queensland was good medicine for regional towns.
"It means you will have your shearers in town, wool classers, all the workers at the hotels," he said.
"When we had the sheep, there was a much stronger economy."
Sheep need men and women to work them. Cattle, which are popular now because they are less susceptible to wild dogs, are less labor intensive.
In other words sheep means more jobs.
Bernard Holland is chief executive of South West NRM, after retiring as school principal of Cunnamulla's Sacred Heart for 22 years.
He runs the "cluster fencing" idea out of Charleville.
When there is a shearing team back in these country towns, you know we are back in business
Six groups of graziers have signed up for cluster fencing grant money. Two clusters are complete and four more are in progress.
"And we have another four clusters where we are about to start the fencing," Mr Holland said.
There are eight groups of properties around Morven, Mungallalla, Tomoo Creek, Tambo, Quilpie and south of Cunnamulla now using cluster fences.
Mr Holland said sheep have a "five or six times" multiplier effect on the local economy compared to cattle.
"If these are successful and landholders become profitable again - and reintroduce sheep - then the agricultural economy in these country towns will improve substantially," he said.
"When there is a shearing team back in these country towns, you know we are back in business," he said.
Mr Holland said the trials showed the 1.75 metre fencing was being installed by graziers at around $4200 per kilometre.
He said one grazier had covered his construction costs after two years with better yields from sheep.
Meanwhile, inside the room at Charleville, community health and indigenous workers said Charleville was still feeling the effects of losing 23 public servants from Queensland Health and the Department of Natural Resources.
"It's a massive hit, a massive hit," 'Red' Alexander said.
Charleville now has a large number of Vietnamese workers on 457 visas working at the local meatworks, which employs 130 people.
"Mate, it's keeping the town alive," he said.
