ON FARM NORTHERN CATTLE BIOSECURITY U Biosecurity SNAPSHOT:Melinee and Rob begins at home Leather, Banana and North Burnett, l Queensland Melinee and Rob underscores the importance • Signage: biosecurity signs Leather use of the mindset that on gates provide contact biosecurity biosecurity begins at home – numbers for visitors to call as a tool to protect it’s not solely concerned with before entering. their own business, as safeguarding against the incursion of exotic diseases. Biosecurity plans and animal well as contribute to health procedures (including the integrity of the “It’s essential to never using pain relief for husbandry underestimate the importance practices) form part of staff Area: whole industry. 14,000ha across two of biosecurity,” Melinee said.induction and training, along The Leathers’ (pictured) with other workplace health properties measured approach to “We’ve consistently made it an everyday part of our business and safety processes. Enterprise: preventing disease, managing Beef breeding and finishing pest and weed threats, and and have never had problems Melinee said establishing practising animal welfare was with diseases, pests or effective property Livestock: recognised earlier this year weeds being introduced onto biosecurity plans doesn’t 3,500–4,000 cattle when Melinee was awarded our properties.” have to be time consuming. (Brahman‑based herd the Farm Biosecurity Producer The Leathers’ biosecurity She also uses Animal Health crossed with Limousin/ of the Year as part of the strategies include: Australia’s farm biosecurity Senepol/Belmont Red Australian Biosecurity Awards. • Quarantine: all incoming plan template and relies on and Brangus) “Our markets demand cattle spend a minimum the FarmBiosecurity app to Pasture: biosecurity – without it, 21 days in a quarantine keep records. Buffel grass, leucaena, native nothing else really matters. paddock before entering bluegrass, flinders, Rhodes Biosecurity affects the the main grazing paddocks. Melinee said that, as well This also helps cattle settleas making sense from farm grass and stylos health of our livestock, our environment, even our and adjust to the new biosecurity and animal Soil: people, and it’s everyone’s environment, water and feed. health perspectives, their Variable; includes undulating responsibility,” Melinee said. • Surveillance: cattle are stringent policies support sandy loam, ironbark and checked daily during the annual auditing to maintain blue‑gum flats, black soil to With their son Adam and Grazing Best Management his wife Chloe, Rob and quarantine period for any softwood scrub health issues. Practice, EU, organic, Teys’ Melinee run a 4,000‑head Grasslands program and LPA Rainfall: Brahman‑based herd to • Buying cattle: purchased accreditations. ■ 1,000mm at North Burnett, produce animals suitable cattle must have animal 650mm at Banana for EU and organic markets, health statements and LESSONS and Teys’ Grasslands up‑to‑date vaccinations, LEARNED Melinee Leather beef program. and bulls must also be E: melineeleather@gmail. Cattle are bred at ‘Four Mile’, backed by soundness tests. com North Burnett and finished at • Visitors: visitor movement > Quarantine livestock ‘Barfield Station’ near Banana. is limited. Visitors can coming onto your Animal Health Australia Barfield is also home to bring vehicles as far as the property. Farm Biosecurity Plan: a small organic breeding house; only farm vehicles > Request animal health animalhealthaustralia.com. operation. are allowed to move around statements when au and search ‘Farm the rest of the property. buying cattle. Biosecurity Plan’. Operating strict biosecurity • Vehicle hygiene: visiting > Surveillance is critical; LPA On-Farm Biosecurity measures is paramount to vehicles, including take regular photos Plan Template: ensure movement of cattle contractors, must be and notes to monitor mla.com.au/integritytools between properties does not cleaned and washed paddocks. resources introduce pests or weeds, down before entry to the and to maintain their organic > Consistency is vital FarmBiosecurity app: accreditation at Barfield. property. The Leathers to maintain good farmbiosecurity.com.au/ also wash down their own biosecurity. farmbiosecurity-app This commitment to avoiding vehicles when moving the spread of pests between properties. 24