Rivers as wide as 30km take huge toll on northern cattle herd

Big rain and flooding is causing chaos and heartbreak in one of Australia’s key cattle regions. Read the latest on stock losses and infrastructure damage.

Tens of thousands of cattle are feared lost in floods in West Australia’s Kimberley region as rain causes rivers to run as wide as 30km.

It is too early to accurately assess the total number but Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association chief executive officer Mick Sheehy said there would be significant losses.

“We know it will be thousands but we are not sure if it will be tens of thousands,” Mr Sheehy said.

“When there is water coming through that is 30km wide, not all cattle can simply get away.”

The floods follow significant rain across the far northwest of the continent. Broome has recorded 565mm of rain since the start of the month, ahead of Curtin (420mm), Fitzroy Crossing (285mm), Derby (266mm),

Mr Sheehy said the initial response was to ensure people were safe, and this had now moved to organising fodder drops for stock which were isolated.

Those that could were moving stock through up to 60cm of water to get to higher ground, but other cattle were isolated on roads or around dam banks and would need fodder airlifted in to sustain them.

The organisation is at the same time working towards lobbying for the urgent repair of infrastructure in time to allow the annual turnoff of cattle from the Kimberley, which begins in earnest in April/May.

“Basically, the major highway from the west to the east Kimberley has been cut,” Mr Sheehy said.

“Barges will be working to supply feed and a lot of stations have feed on hand, which they will drop to stock that are isolated.

“But it is going to take a major effort to rebuild the roads and bridges.”

The Great Northern Highway and the Fitzroy Crossing Bridge damaged as a result of floodwaters. Picture: Main Roads WA

And even when the water drains away, Mr Sheehy said the silt-covered country would take time to respond and grow feed.

“It is not like the water just moving off and the sun shining and the grass growing,” he said.

Cattle Australia chairman David Foote said more would be known once floodwaters receded “but at this stage it is anticipated there may be substantial cattle losses and damage to station infrastructure”.

“Main transport routes have also been damaged and will require coordinated efforts to repair so the freight and logistics network connecting the east Kimberley to the port of Broome is open for the mustering season and communities are not isolated for extended periods,” Mr Foote said.

“Cattle Australia wishes to recognise the hardship and heartache the current flood and unseasonal rain events are having on livestock producers and farmers across many parts of Australia.

“(We urge) governments at all levels to continue support past the immediacy of these events to get critical and local infrastructure back into working order along with supporting the rebuilding of our regional communities.”