Stock Route and Moving Livestock

The Queensland stock route network has a long and rich history of supporting landholders.

Today, it is mainly used for moving stock, pasture for emergency agistment and long-term grazing. The stock route network is also valued for its native flora and fauna and remnant vegetation, as well as for its Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural heritage. Stock routes contain major infrastructure for the transport of water, power and for communication.

To use the stock route network, you need permits for:

  • travelling stock on foot
  • grazing (agistment) of stock
  • using water facilities.

QLD Stock Route Map Queensland Stock Route Map (www.qld.gov.au). Stock routes can also be viewed using online mapping portal Queensland Globe.

Stock Route Management Act 2002

  • The Maranoa Regional Council Stock Route Management Plan 2024-29 details how Council will manage its stock route network in accordance with the Act and clearly identify the approach to compliance and enforcement on the stock route network so that its values are maintained.

    Link to plan

    Link to Compliance Policy (not yet endorsed)

  • Travel Permits 

    When you'll need a travel permit

    You must apply for a stock route travel permit to move stock on foot on:

    • stock routes
    • reserves for travelling stock
    • roads and other land under local government control
    • unallocated state land adjoining any of these listed land types.

    Exemptions

    You do not need a permit when moving stock between properties if all the following apply:

    • the properties are owned by the same landowner and worked as a single enterprise
    • travel occurs during a single day in daylight hours
    • travel is for animal husbandry or property management purposes only.

    Before you apply 

    Before moving stock, ensure that you:  


    Fees

    Application fee of $159.00 per application.

    The permit fee is calculated when the application is approved and must be paid before the permit is issued.

    For each day eligible stock is being moved on foot under the permit, there is a fee of $1.06 GST Free for each group of:

    • up to 20 head of large stock
    • up to 140 head of small stock.

    How to apply

    Application assessment 

    The application will be assessed based on:

    • pasture levels on the route
    • availability and suitability of water
    • likelihood the stock’s travel will spread a declared pest or notifiable disease
    • whether the minimum travel rate of 10km per day can be met by the stock or if a lesser rate is permitted, whether the lesser rate can be sustained for the entire journey
    • impacts on road traffic infrastructure and road safety.


    Once the application has been assessed, you will receive a written notice of the decision. If you are not satisfied with the decision, you may apply for a Review of Local Government Decision.

    Agistment Permits 

    When you'll need a grazing (agistment permit)

    A stock route grazing (agistment) permit is required to agist stock on:

    • stock routes
    • reserves for travelling stock
    • roads under local government control.


    The purpose of the permit is to provide short-term relief while longer term strategies are put in place.

    Grazing (agistment) permits issued for travelling stock under a stock route travel permit are valid for a maximum of 7 days and cannot be renewed. Permits for other stock are issued for a maximum for 28 days and can be renewed once only.

    Who can apply

    You are eligible for a grazing (agistment) permit if you:

    • are a landowner whose land is adversely affected by drought, fire or flood; or
    • hold a stock route travel permit and the stock require agistment for branding, crutching, dipping, drenching, jetting, shearing or trucking; or
    • spell the stock to comply with an obligation imposed by animal welfare legislation; or
    • are responding to a notice by local government inviting applications for agistment of stock.

    You are not eligible to apply if you have held a grazing (agistment) permit for the land in the 3 months immediately before the date of application.

    You do not need to reside in Maranoa Regional Council to be eligible.

    Fees

    Application fee of $159.00 per application. Once a permit has been issued, you must pay Council the amount shown on the permit.

    The fee range set by legislation is given below. The fee will be determined based on pasture and water availability and climatic conditions (e.g. drought).

    Type of stock Minimum fee per week (or part of week) Maximum fee per weeek (or part of week)
    For each head of eligable large stock  $2.97 inc GST $5.83 inc GST
    For each 5 head (or part) of eligable small stock $2.12 inc GST $4.24 inc GST
    How to apply


    Once the application has been assessed, you will receive a written notice of the decision. If you are not satisfied with the decision, you may apply for a Review of Local Government Decision.

  • Stock route water facility agreements

    You must apply to the local government before taking water from a stock route water facility. Taking water without an agreement or permit is an offence.

    Fees

    Water accessed for domestic purposes is charged at a flat fee, which is indexed annually.

    Stock watering fees are calculated according to the area watered method.
    This applies the following equation:

    annual fee = potential benefited area x indexed rate.

    The potential benefited area is the radial area surrounding a water point (5km radius for cattle and 2.5km radius for sheep), which represents the relative benefit a landholder is getting from accessing water from the stock route water facility. The indexed rate is linked to the average property value per hectare, which is calculated by dividing the unimproved property valuation by the total area of the property.

    A minimum stock watering fee applies, which is indexed annually.

    In cases where water is being taken for both domestic and stock purposes, the calculated fee for stock is added to the flat fee for domestic use to determine the total amount payable.

    Waiving or reduction in fees

    Fees may be waived or reduced if:

    • there is temporary loss of water or diminished supply, or
    • the landholder negotiates with the local government to undertake regular maintenance of the facility.

    How to apply


    The following are Council owned community bores, not Stock Route Facilities. Please see the Community Bores page for information on these bores.

    • Hodgson
    • Eumamurrin
    • Teelba
    • Begonia
    • Noonga

  • All Livestock clubs are required to register all animal movements for each event

    Registering livestock movement is an important step in maintaining biosecurity practices and ensuring the
    welfare of livestock. Anyone that host sporting events using livestock must complete the Application for a Stock
    Route Travel Permit and lodge it with the Maranoa Regional Council at least two weeks prior to the event.

    For more information or to lodge a form please contact land.management@maranoa.qld.gov.au.

    Livestock Sporting Events and the NLIS

    Organisations that host sporting events using livestock are identified under the Biosecurity Act 2014 as a registrable biosecurity entity and must comply with all NLIS requirements. Registrable biosecurity entities must register with Biosecurity Queensland to be allocated a property identification code (PIC) for livestock traceability purposes. 

    Livestock sporting events and the NLIS | Business Queensland

    NLIS Tagging Requirements 

    All cattle must be identified with an NLIS device before travelling to an event. Any untagged stock that arrives at an event must be reported to a Biosecurity Queensland inspector and be tagged with a NLIS post-breeder tag bearing the PIC of the event grounds.

    Reporting to the NLIS Database 

    It is the responsibility of event committees to report all movements of cattle to the NLIS database within 48 hours of the stock leaving the event.

    For all NLIS and PIC enquires contact the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13 25 23 or head here.

    Reporting Cattle Movements

    All livestock movements must be accompanied by a movement record from the property of origin to the event and return. A copy of the movement record for cattle must be kept by the event committee for two years.

    Sighted Cattle Transfer

    The ‘sighted cattle’ function records the presence of an animal at an event without having to transfer the animal onto and off the source PIC. This reporting function may be used for any event where at least one of the following applies:

    • cattle are held for less than 96 hours
    • there are less than 500 head
    • all cattle that are present at the event are from the same PIC.

    The following information must be reported when completing a 'sighted cattle':

    • NLIS or RFID tag number for each animal
    • movement record number
    • PIC of event grounds
    • date of event
    • comment: name of event.

     

    Only one transaction per movement record will be required when using 'sighted cattle'. 

    Property to Property Transfer 

    If the event does not fit the ‘sighted cattle’ criteria, a ‘property to property’ transfer must be used when reporting to the database.The following information must be reported when completing a ‘property to property’ transfer:

    • NLIS or RFID tag number for each animal
    • movement record number
    • from PIC
    • to PIC
    • date of event.

     

    The return transfer is usually carried out by the event committee as a service to those who attended the sporting event. This means two transactions will be required for ‘property to property’ transfers at an event, the first from the origin PIC to the event PIC, and the second from the event PIC back to the same PIC.

     

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