Grassdale Feedlot is located on Barunggam country near Dalby in the Toowoomba Region of Queensland. This is the largest feedlot in Australia, and is owned and operated by Mort & Co. AnimalKIND has been documenting repeated effluent spills at Grassdale Feedlot since 2022. The feedlot expanded to the current size in 2020. The expansion was financially supported by the Queensland Government through the Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.
When effluent spills from the ponds at Grassdale Feedlot, it can flow into two wetlands of high ecological significance (HES) – Long Swamp to the east and northeast, and Lake Broadwater to the northwest. Lake Broadwater is a popular camping and recreational area. It also flows onto neighbouring farms, impacting their crops.
Our video documents serious effluent spills in October and November of 2022 and April 2024. It also documents possible ‘dumping’ of effluent onto saturated paddocks, following heavy rainfall in April 2024.
In October 2022, Mort & Co were awarded the Regional Exporter of the Year at the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards. This award was given whilst effluent from Grassdale Feedlot was spilling onto neighbouring properties and into Lake Broadwater. They went on to win the Australian Exporter of the Year in Canberra in December 2022.
Approximate Location
Video & Gallery
