Woorabinda Pastoral and Stockyard collaborate in knowledge program

Caption: (from left) Leading hand at Zamia Donnie Major, ceo Tim Thompson, stockman Raymond Oakley, maintenance supervisor Gargy Huskic, stockman Joseph Oakley, head stockman Lawson Woodard, trainee stockman Christopher Doyle, trainee stockman Triston Bunjhi, and Woorabinda manager Vincent Ghilotti. Credit: Ben Harden (Queensland Country Life).

Industry leader Stockyard Beef is partnering with Queensland’s Woorabinda Pastoral Company (WPC) to implement an innovative knowledge program with local First Nations people, collaborating in relationship building, sharing of culture, training and knowledge of best industry practices.

Stockyard’s Manager, Marketing and Community Engagement, Amy Brooks, who is also a non-executive director of WPC, said the company had been laying the foundations for the program since

late last year, and was just one example of the work being done in the sustainability space by Indigenous pastoral companies across Australia.

“The agricultural workforce and landscape are changing, but there is a worrying, unsophisticated understanding of diversity within the sector, especially in terms of Indigenous involvement in agriculture,” Ms Brooks said.

“Through the knowledge program, Stockyard and WPC are collaborating to bridge the gap and connect directly with community to create opportunities and pathways for career and leadership success.”

WPC is a beef and cropping enterprise run across five different properties covering approximately 47,000ha in central Queensland, and is solely owned by the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council.

The Council manages the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of Woorabinda, a settlement of around 1000 people from 52 clans living on the traditional lands of the Wadja Wadja and Ghungalu people.

WPC currently employs 18 staff from Woorabinda in its workforce of 21 people managing 5,000 head of cattle and up to 5,660 ha of cropping, including wheat, corn, chickpeas, sorghum and mungbeans.

Ms Brooks says the company is committed to building a cohesive workforce and providing career development opportunities in agriculture for the residents of Woorabinda.

Stockyard employees will visit WPC properties and engage at a grassroots level in assisting to build capabilities within the teams. This includes pastoral and feedlot operations as well as development strategies for people and culture, and the program is modulised so it can be tailored to experience.

WPC employees also visit Stockyard to undertake specially tailored training programs. New targeted initiatives will be complemented by support programs that aim to increase participation, completion, and ultimately, sustainable employment outcomes.

“In terms of our vision and mission, WPC has always aimed to consistently empower community,” Ms Brook said.

“The Company has a unique structure, it’s the biggest employer and the dividends from it are invested in support programs for the community, in the school, through sponsorships etcetera.

“We have a great team on site that is focused on workplace health, safety, and training for employees, and on engaging the individual at their level of competency, and these initiatives have helped WPC to create career pathways and enable people to seek employment in larger agribusinesses, as well as non-agricultural enterprises.”

In 2019, WPC partnered with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) to develop high-end beef products. The partnership facilitated training opportunities for WPC staff in cattle nutrition, reproduction, and health, and DAF agricultural economists worked with WPC managers to develop a business plan for scaling high-end products.

A partnership with Greening Australia assisted WPC staff in developing land management plans, and the company was involved in Meat & Livestock Australia’s NB2 Pathway to Practice pilot adoption program that focused on herd management, feed base and sustainability via peer to peer training.

The Council showcases Indigenous culture at Australia’s largest industry event, Beef Week in Rockhampton, and holds school tours to raise awareness of its business and agriculture.

The company is looking to further engage women and youth, emphasising the importance of early industry exposure and positive role models.