Making More from Sheep Phase II : MMfS State Coordination – Queensland

Making More from Sheep (MMfS) is a majority market extension program funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI). Phase II of MMfS commenced in Queensland with a business planning process in October 2010 and delivery from November 2010 until November 2013. Mr Tony Hamilton of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) was initially the State Coordinator with responsibility for planning, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation. He was replaced by Ms Nicole Sallur from DAFF towards the end of the project. Delivery involving partner organisations provided best practice management information and tools to sheep producers with target Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) exceeded across all three tiers of engagement category. 31 events were delivered to 551 participants. Satisfaction and value scores averaged across all events measured 8.7 and 8.2 respectively. Operational recommendations have been included in the report.

Planning, Managing and Evaluating Group Housing Systems for Gestating Sows

This project will examine infrastructure changes required to existing gestation stall accommodation including performance and economics.

Plantation hardwood resource specifications required for planning small log sawing infrastructure investment in Queensland.

Improved information on the product quality of the plantation resource is needed to allow businesses to consider investing in the development of value-adding processing facilities. These facilities are likely to require customised design that optimises the utilisation of future small diameter plantation hardwood logs. This log resource will become available as wood supply in Queensland transitions from native forests to 100% from sustainable plantations. This resource will be controlled by plantations established prior to 2000. A survey of the three main growers (former Forest Enterprises Australia Pty Ltd, former Forestry Corporation of New South Wales, Hancock Queensland Plantation Pty Ltd) revealed that C. citriodora subsp.variegata – CCV (28.0%), Eucalyptus dunnii (27.5%), E. pilularis (23.0%), E. grandis (11.3%) and E. cloeziana –GMS (7.1%) were the most widely planted species in the southern Queensland and northern New South Wales subtropical hardwood estate and would potentially dominate the supply of plantation hardwoods to sawmill processing facilities.