Well at long last the tail end of Cyclone Trevor has brought much-needed rainfall to vast areas of Queensland. It has not solved the drought for everyone but brought some relief at least. This change should, in a lot of areas, give enough moisture for the planting of oats and other winter crops.
With winter just around the corner we can only hope that some sort of grass growth appears before the cold weather hits. Cattle values will most certainly benefit from the fallout of Trevor.
The national final of the ALPA Young Auctioneers Competition will be held on Friday at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. This event showcases the abilities of seven young auctioneers from Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia, each of whom have competed and won at their respective state competitions. Congratulations and best wishes to the seven finalists for what should be an exciting final. All the best to Anthony O'Dwyer and Jack Henshaw who will represent Queensland. The winner of the national final will, among other prizes, win a trip to Canada to the Calgary Stampede where they will compete in the International Livestock Auctioneers Championships.
ALPA will host a dinner at Darling Harbour the night before the competition for the competitors and families as well as sponsors and member guests. A highlight of the evening will be the ALPA charity auction with all proceeds going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. For those unable to make it to Sydney for the competition, all the action will be livestreamed at www.theland.com.au/news/sydney-royal/
In coming months all livestock owners in Queensland will be reminded of their requirement to be registered to help protect their animals. Registration helps Biosecurity Queensland quickly locate animals in a pest or disease emergency and manage emergency incidents. It is important to know where susceptible animals are and who is responsible for keeping the animals. Up-to-date registration allows Biosecurity Queensland to communicate directly so they can act quickly in an emergency response.
All livestock owners should check if they're registered and ensure their contact information is up to date. Owners and keepers of animals may already be registered either because they registered since entity registration started on July 1, 2016, or because they were automatically registered based on existing property identification code (PIC) details.
The biosecurity entity is generally the owner of the animal(s). However, you must also be registered if you operate a holding facility where livestock are kept temporarily, even if you don't own the animals kept there. This includes saleyards.
If you're already registered as a biosecurity entity, you can check and update your contact information on the biosecurity entity registration portal. More information is available at www.qld.gov.au/BiosecurityRegistration.
- Paul Pratt is a member of Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association (ALPA).
