From Fire to Forage: Insights for Productive and Resilient Spinifex Lands

Spinifex (Triodia species) covers over 25% of Australia’s landmass and is a dominant feature across northern rangelands.

Despite its extensive coverage, practical knowledge around managing spinifex pastures for grazing remains limited and often untapped.

To shed light on this vital yet underexplored resource, insights were gathered from 21 pastoralists, five Traditional Owners, and seven rangeland scientists from the Pilbara, Kimberley, and central Australia. Together, their experiences reveal practical strategies that balance sustainable grazing and fire management to unlock the potential of spinifex country.

Watch this BeefConnect webinar recording and join Matthew Fletcher (Range Assist, Kununurra WA) and Merv Wortley (Ruby Plains Station, Halls Creek WA) when they delve into the science, stories, and strategies for managing spinifex for productivity and resilience.

This recording explores:

• Key facts about spinifex ecology and its value to grazing systems
• Using fire to enhance feed quality and manage pasture composition
• The art of balancing cool burns and hot burns for spinifex health
• On-ground lessons from burning soft spinifex at Ruby Plains Station
• Supplementary feeding strategies for livestock grazing in spinifex country

You can watch the full recording or use the playlist below to jump to the start of a particular section within the presentation. (45:53; published 25 May 2026 by FutureBeefAu).

Download a copy of the presentation – From fire to forage – Insights for productive and resilient spinifex (PDF; 7.56 MB)

Additional resources:

• Management of Spinifex Pastures (Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association)
• Managing Mitchell Grass: a grazier’s guide (FutureBeef)
• Managing northern speargrass: a grazier’s guide (FutureBeef)
• Assessing pasture diet quality – NIRS (FutureBeef)
• Range Assist – Matt Fletcher contact (Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association)

Full recording

Playlist

1. Insights into spinifex pastures and their management
2. Spread of spinifex grass pastures
3. Differences in spinifex leaf anatomy and plant growth
4. Growth and regeneration of spinifex grass pastures
5. Ruby Plains Station (Merv Wortley)
6. Soft spinifex and fire on Ruby Plains
7. Cool and hot fires
8. Other plants and forbes after fire
9. Cattle and supplements on Ruby Plains
10. Additional information
11. Acknowledgements