As part of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 (IYRP), the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is celebrating the people behind the pastoral industry and recognising the important role rangelands play across Australia.
Covering around 75% of the Australian continent, rangelands are synonymous with the outback and deeply embedded in the nation’s identity, economy and culture.
Recently, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Livestock Extension Officer for Central Australia, Caleb Schwarz and Rangeland Extension Officer Alison Kain, visited Tieyon Station on the Northern Territory–South Australia border to speak with pastoralists Paul and Jo Smith about life and work in the rangelands.
For Paul Smith, being a pastoralist is about far more than running cattle.
“Being able to make and create is what I love. That calf goes on to feed people, and the surplus is exported and contributes to the nation,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith said pastoralism in the rangelands required resilience, patience and the confidence to make difficult decisions in uncertain conditions.
Following strong seasonal rainfall earlier this year, Tieyon Station’s Mitchell grass country is thriving, with healthy Black Angus cattle grazing across the landscape.
Mr Smith said the rangelands would play an increasingly important role in Australia’s future food production systems.
“We’re producing protein and energy in places you’ll never be able to crop,” he said.
The Department says Paul and Jo’s story highlights the strong stewardship ethic shared by many pastoralists, with care for native grasslands, water systems, biodiversity and culturally significant sites forming part of everyday life on the land.
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Chief Executive Officer, Amelia Vellar said the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists was an opportunity to recognise the contribution pastoralists make to the Northern Territory and the nation.
“Territory pastoralists manage some of the most remote and challenging environments in Australia while producing high-quality food and supporting regional economies and communities,” Ms Vellar said.
“Their knowledge, innovation and commitment to sustainable land management continue to shape the future of the rangelands.”
The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 is a global initiative recognising the environmental, cultural, social and economic importance of rangelands and the people who depend on them.
