24/12/2022
This case study first appeared in the Summer 2022 edition of Meat & Livestock Australia's Feedback magazine.
Nestled between Townsville and Charters Towers in North Queensland, Reid River Export Depot sits at the heart of a live export regional hub that’s crucial to a large swathe of northern Australia.
With capacity for up to 17,000 head of cattle, the depot is a bustling hive of activity all year round.
It plays a vital role in the industry, managing the preparation and certification of cattle exported from the Port of Townsville to markets in South East Asia including Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
The depot, owned by Paul and Kristy Heil, has prepared more than 250,000 head for export since it became operational in 2019.
Paul and Kristy, along with Logistics Manager Kate Andison and Assistant Manager Trent Young, lead a team of up to 15 people who live on-site, many of whom have worked in the cattle industry throughout their careers, and at the depot since its establishment.
“The live export industry is our life and many people in the region depend on it. Not having the industry here would be like having a shoe shop without any shoes,” Paul says.
“It’s not just a job for the team here, we’re more like a family. It’s certainly not a 9am-5pm job; it’s both a livelihood and a lifestyle.”
The depot’s economic ripple effect is significant. For example, about 80% of the cattle delivered for preparation come via trucking companies based in the Charters Towers region, and these local carriers also transport cattle from the depot to the port.
Shipper pellets and hay for the cattle are sourced from across Queensland, depending on availability.
“Cattle are consigned from across Queensland, the Northern Territory, and as far afield as New South Wales and South Australia at times, and they’re generally at the depot for about 10 days before export,” Paul said.
Upon arrival at the depot, cattle are weighed before going to a processing area where any pre-export protocols that are required for the destination market are carried out.
“We draft the cattle into different weight categories and types, and they’re penned based on that data to stop bullying in the feed yard and on the ship,” Paul said.
“They’re fed a mixed ration of hay and shipper pellet and then transitioned to a full shipper pellet ration, to get them used to it so they eat well on the ship.”
The purpose-built, modern facility is designed to ensure high standards of animal welfare, enabling cattle to flow freely through the yards to minimise stress.
“Our stock people walk through the pens every day to monitor the health of every animal. When we’re 24 hours out from shipping, we walk through the pens with an Australian Government Accredited Veterinarian (AAV) from the exporter and remove any animal they deem not fit to travel,” Paul said.
“Once they sign off on a shipment, a government vet from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) will also inspect them with us and identify any animals they think should be removed before they sign off on a shipment”.
“We do a truck plan which correlates with the shipping plan because cattle have to be loaded on to a ship in a certain order, depending on their weight. A time is then set to start loading.”
While the logistics involved in operating the depot are immense, Logistics Manager, Kate Andison, says the team draws great satisfaction from their work.
“I think everyone feels really proud at the end of a load out. Everyone stands back and feels like they have accomplished something really significant,” Kate said.