Hill country pastures lift carrying capacity

Summary

New pasture establishment techniques on difficult hill country in the Nowendoc area of NSW have shown the way to improved stocking rates and given local producers the ability to turn off prime steers, thereby resurrecting employment and business opportunities for the entire community. The Nowendoc community in NSW is not alone in suffering the effects of the decline in rural areas generally - loss of services, rural employment, closure of two sawmills and an aging population. This Producer Research Support project, begun in 1994, helped spark a changed mindset and handed local producers the knowledge to more effectively improve pastures, productivity and profitability.