Abstract:
The Gulf District of the Northern Territory is one of Australia's most remote cattle-growing areas. The national brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication policy is forcing management to change from the traditional hunting of cattle on unfenced areas to property development and improved animal husbandry practices. In 1982 only 45% of properties were actively participating in the BTB eradication programme. The paper describes the area and looks at the effect of development on a number of economic parameters, as well as the effect of these parameters on operating costs and returns. The development of stations is related to higher stocking rates and total numbers of stock. Costs per head decrease and turnoff and branding rates tend to increase with development. However stations had to go heavily into debt to achieve this development. Only 32% of stations covered their operating costs in 1982; although these stations were less developed they were also smaller, owner- managed stations employing less labour.