Richmond Shire Council Bets Big on Grain Sorghum to Fund Free Child Care
A local government in outback Queensland is turning to large-scale agriculture to generate revenue for community services, planting a cash crop of grain sorghum on 1,300 hectares of state-owned land near Maxwelton.
The council aims to generate up to $500,000 in profit from the sorghum harvest to fund initiatives such as free child care.
The Richmond Shire Council is leasing the land from the Queensland government. This marks the second year the council has grown a cash crop, following a successful 2025 harvest of 1,000 tonnes of chickpeas from the same plot, which netted a $300,000 profit. Previously, agisting cattle on the land earned the council less than $30,000.
Diversifying Income Streams
The sorghum was sown in January and is expected to have lower input costs than the previous chickpea crop, as no new ploughing was required. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify the council's income.
"We want a cash crop. It's about building income streams for our community," stated Mayor John Wharton. He added that the profit could help stop rates from rising and potentially fund free child care for local families.
Infrastructure Support and Regional Interest
The viability of the project is being bolstered by state investment in grain storage infrastructure. The Queensland government has funded two 2,000-tonne silos at Maxwelton, with a third currently under construction, enabling local grain storage before transport to market.
Agronomist Angus Dalgliesh expressed optimism about the future of dryland cropping in the region, noting it could complement the existing livestock industry.
The concept is generating interest beyond Richmond Shire. Longreach Mayor Tony Rayner indicated he is looking into similar initiatives, citing a gap between the council's rate base and the costs of delivering essential services.