Central Queensland stretches from the coast near Mackay and Rockhampton inland to Longreach, Barcaldine, and Blackall. Rainfall varies from 600–800 mm on the coast to 300–450 mm in the far west, with high year-to-year variability throughout.
Key pasture types
- Brigalow belt: Heavy clay soils supporting Queensland bluegrass and native pastures under open brigalow woodland. Well-suited to improved legume oversowing (e.g. Desmanthus, Verano Stylo).
- Buffel grass systems (drier west): Widely sown since the 1970s, buffel grass dominates much of the semi-arid CQ landscape. High productivity, drought-tolerant, but concerns about fire frequency and impact on native biodiversity.
- Improved coastal pastures: Brachiaria-based systems with subtropical legumes on the lighter soils of the subcoastal zone.
Key management priorities
- Managing variable rainfall — conservative baseline stocking with the ability to rapidly expand and contract
- Leucaena management — CQ is the heart of Queensland leucaena country; maintaining leucaena content and preventing dieback from overgrazing
- Buffel grass fire management — strategic burning to manage pasture composition and reduce fuel loads near infrastructure
- Siam weed and other biosecurity risks — monitoring and early intervention
Leucaena in CQ
Leucaena-grass systems in CQ can support liveweight gains of 200+ kg/head/year — among the highest of any pasture system in Australia. Leucaena requires 600+ mm rainfall and well-drained soils, and must be managed to prevent overgrazing of the leucaena rows. Psyllid resistance and leucaena leucocephala cultivar selection are key decisions for new plantings.