Twenty-seven students from The University of Queensland (UQ) are furthering their studies and careers by researching the rangelands of Western Queensland this week.
The group includes students from UQ’s Gatton and St Lucia campuses and a number of distance education and international students who are enrolled in the University’s unique “Rangelands Management” course conducted by the Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (NRAVS).
The tour will be further enhanced by the presence of two postgraduate students from Kenya and Swaziland who are keen to learn first hand about rangeland management in the inland and share the comparison to their home countries with the other students.
Lecturer and tour coordinator Bruce Alchin said the tour, which runs from September 26 to October 1, will provide an invaluable experience for the students in terms of furthering their knowledge and developing available career opportunities within the rangelands.
“In Australia, the rangelands region covers 75 percent of the countryside and accounts for a significant proportion of the nation’s wealth through cattle, sheep, tourism and mining,” Mr Alchin said.
“The students all have a common interest in the rangelands, which they have incorporated into their studies for undergraduate degrees in agricultural science, resource economics, environmental management or applied science.”
The tour provides a highlight for students, for some offering their first visit to Western Queensland. The annual tour passes through Goondiwindi, St George, Mitchell, Roma, Morven, Charleville, Injune, Rolleston and Gayndah.
“The aim of the tour is to provide students with first hand experience of the region’s rangelands and the opportunity to examine various ecosystems, their condition and livestock management. The students also enjoy the experience of staying in workers quarters and camping at Showgrounds.”
The students will be exposed to a wide variety of experiences while on tour, including working in the field with Landcare and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) and learning more about macropod harvesting at Amby. The students will also work with staff from various regional offices of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNR&M) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during their tour.
In addition to studying the main rangeland types in the Darling Downs, Maranoa, Burnett, Central and Western Queensland regions, the students will visit research stations at Charleville and Gayndah.
The tour will also include study of the management of the mulga and mitchell grass country, brigalow country west of Injune and cattle cell grazing with the Gibson family, North of Rolleston. Three members of the Gibson family are UQ Gatton graduates. The final tour visit is to the Brian Pastures Research Station at Ban Ban Springs just south of Gayndah.
Media inquiries: Susanne Schick - UQ Gatton Campus (07 5460 1229, 0409 265 587)
Further information/comment: Bruce Alchin 0438 831 301
