Qld: Disappointing wet season creates havoc in bush

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Qld: Disappointing wet season creates havoc in bush

(Eds: Reissuing to clarify eighth par)

By Jordan Baker

TOWNSVILLE, April 9 AAP - Dry conditions were recorded across most of Australia oversummer but lack of rainfall has hit especially hard in outback north Queensland.

The tropical north relies on the wet season between November and May to generate enoughwater reserves to get it through the dry.

Agforce Queensland cattle president Peter Kenny said today extreme heat and littlerain could cost farmers some of their stock.

"One could almost say we're in disaster mode for most of north Queensland," he said.

"Because of the lack of rain during the wet season, there's been limited opportunityto get pastures into the conditions that will pull us through the winter.

"If we don't get rain in April, then there's a likelihood of losing a lot of stockin some areas and graziers will be put under extreme pressure."

Mossman Agricultural Services chief executive Allan Rudd said while the lack of rainhad helped canegrowers, they were now praying for rain.

"A very wet season decreases our yields, but ... growth has stopped now because it'sdry," he said.

"(If there was no rain for the rest of the wet season), then it could be disastrous."

The Bureau of Meteorology said the forecast was uncertain but there was double theusual risk of an El Nino, which brings dry conditions.

Bureau regional director Gary Foley said the dry spell was due to several inactivecyclone seasons and weak high-pressure systems in the Southern Ocean.

The north coast of Queensland has had only a third of its annual rainfall, with historiclow rainfall levels recorded at Cairns, Daintree Village and Cooktown.

The rainfall in Mount Isa over December and January this year was just 86.4mm, wellbelow the average of 130.9mm, the bureau said.

Mount Isa City Council has implemented water restrictions, allowing evenly numberedhouses to water only on even days and odd houses on odd days.

And nearby Kajabbi, residents said their water was undrinkable because a poor wet seasonhas failed to flush out the Leichhardt River which supplies town water.

AAP jb/sc/cjh/

KEYWORD: WET (REISSUING)