Graziers in north-west Queensland are facing an environmental catastrophe after unprecedented rainfall turned drought-stricken land into a flood disaster zone. The extreme weather, described as an inland cyclone, dumped over 700mm of rain in seven days, causing widespread destruction to livestock and wildlife.
Families like those at a cattle station near Cloncurry report heartbreaking losses. Cattle weakened by days of cold, driving rain and boggy ground became exhausted and died. Helicopters are being used to distribute fodder to survivors as most of the region remains inaccessible to vehicles. One grazier described shooting his own cattle to euthanise those beyond saving, saying it was 'absolutely gutting'.
Estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of domestic livestock have been lost. On some properties, losses reach 95% of herds; overall averages are around 50% across 120,000 acres. The calamity has also killed native animals, with kangaroos found dead in trees and fences, and birds drowned in silt drifts.
The floods have demolished fences, pipelines, and water infrastructure, turned roads into rivers, and washed away dam banks. One family's dam, once a refuge for birdlife, was destroyed. Properties downstream have been entirely submerged, with reports of entire herds swept away.
Survivors among the cattle have lost roughly half their body weight in two weeks. The region, which endured seven years of drought, had no time to prepare for such a rapid transition. 'No amount of preparation could have readied our herd,' one farmer said.
