CSIRO study proves flood refuge mounds help save livestock

A new CSIRO study has confirmed that raised earthen flood refuge mounds (FRMs) can mean the difference between a herd surviving a flood and a producer losing their livelihood.

The $2 million On-Farm Resilience Study, commissioned by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and funded by the Australian Government's North Queensland Recovery and Resilience Package, examined how FRMs performed during three major floods over the past five years. 

Findings from the study showed that circular mounds outperformed rectangular ones, because they slow floodwater down and reduce erosion around the base.

Additionally, establishing vegetation quickly on a mound was recommended as a way to hold the structure together and stop it from washing away.

Other recommendations were made about the placement of multiple FRMs and the distance between mounds to maximise the effectiveness of protecting livestock.

Saving livestock during flood events is crucial for producers who face a serious loss of time and income through flood-related losses.

Losing just 10 per cent of breeding stock can set a grazing enterprise back one to three years while heavier losses can stretch recovery out to five years or more.

Following the initial findings, the study is now moving into a trial phase, with Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries working alongside local councils and graziers in North West Queensland to build and test new FRMs on the ground.

Producers interested in building their own flood refuge mound can get design, construction and management guidance from the Department of Primary Industries.

The Australian Government’s $91.8 million North Queensland Recovery and Resilience Package is helping northern Queensland communities recover from the 2019 Monsoon Trough and the 2023 Monsoon Trough and the 2023 monsoon and flooding events, as well as prepare for future floods.

Read more about FRMs here.