Report finds pastoral leases unviable

Pastoralists are concerned after a buried State Government departmental report has revealed the majority of the State's current pastoral leases are unviable.

Greens MP Chris Talentine has unearthed a report on the Viability of Pastoral Leases in the Northern Rangelands and Southern Rangelands Region Based on Biophysical Assessment, under Freedom of Information Act.

The December 2010 report projected viability of pastoral leases across the regions by analysis through assessment of biophysical parameters.

The report, in particular, analysed the inherent landscape productivity and its capacity to be managed in an ecologically sustainable manner, and the impact of current rangeland condition on grazing capacity.

Of the 446 WA pastoral leases across the Northern and Southern Rangelands assessed, applying a threshold viability level of a potential carrying capacity of 4000 cattle units, but ignoring reduced carrying capacity caused by degraded rangeland condition, only about 26 per cent was considered viable.

Mr Talentine said it was important the finding of the report be discussed before pastoral leases are renewed next year.

"If the report has found that pastoral lease land is not suitable livestock, let's look at other options for diversification," he said.

"Land diversification has the potential to trigger native title claims, and, if this is the case, we need to be talking to indigenous groups about future partnerships and agreements as soon as possible."

Pastoralists and Graziers Association president Tony Seabrook said the surfacing of this report had the potential to pull the rug from under the State's pastoral industry.

"This report could make all the properties that are deemed to be unviable worthless," he said.

"The report was completed in 2011, and since that time we've seen the live export trade get back on its feet, dog fences get built and positive changes in climate conditions in many pastoral areas.

"So it is therefore important that a report like this is done over a 10-15 year period and not such a narrow window to take into account these variances. To have this report hanging over the pastoral industry's head is not a really good look for the WA industry trying to promote itself as the food bowl of Asia."

Meanwhile, Pilbara station owner Joe de Pledge, of Mandora Station, told the _Countryman _he received a letter from the Department of Agriculture and Food WA informing him that his property was not viable as pastoral land.

"I think there is an agenda by conservation groups to close down pastoral areas," he said.

"Mandora is in the gun because it is in the sights of the report, as with many others.

"But today, the truth is the station is in immaculate condition … however, the department report says the property is unviable."

Mr de Pledge said the current status of his property would comply with positive assessment criteria of the report.

"There have been substantial water and land improvements made to the property," he said.

"We've put solar at most of the station's watering plants with diesel backups and we've run a well-known drought master heard."