Faces at the Great Aussie Charity Cattle Drive launch: GACCD Operations Lead Chris Nott, GACCD Ambassador Senator Susan McDonald, GACCD Administration Lead Ann-Maree Johnson, Australian Country Choice’s Anthony Lee, Stockplace Marketing’s Luke Westaway, and GACCD Chair Bim Struss. 

ONE in six people in Australia experience food insecurity and hunger on a weekly basis.

Now a unique outback initiative has been launched enabling members of the Australian cattle industry to help their city counterparts and raise much needed funds to support those in need.

The inaugural 2025 Great Australian Charity Cattle Drive was officially unveiled by Beef Bank director Bim Struss during the sold-out Rural Press Club of Queensland breakfast during Beef Week in Rockhampton.

The drive will see 2000 head of cattle walked by professional drovers and paying supporters on horseback along designated stock routes from Longreach to Roma in May next year.

A series of entertainment, community engagement and fundraising activities are also planned along the way.

Supporters will be able to pay to “Adopt a Steer” or “Buy a Saddle”.

The drive is supported by foundation partners Stockplace Marketing, McDonald Holdings (MDH) and Australian Country Choice (ACC), along with a growing list of corporate, agribusiness, media, beef industry, community and government organisations, Mr Struss said.

The charity initiative has four objectives which are to raise funds to feed those in need, showcase Australia’s world class beef industry, promote outback tourism and provide an opportunity for people to experience an iconic outback event.

“This project will be an ideal way to raise awareness of the problem with food insecurity across Australia,”Mr Struss said.

“The beef industry has by-and-large had several very good years, and this project provides a perfect platform for the bush to give back to the broader community and our city-based cousins, after itself receiving fantastic community support during the 2019-20 drought,”

BeefBank Chairman Andrew Rodgers said there is a natural synergy between the beef industry and BeefBank, and he would like to think it could become the ‘charity of choice’ for cattle producers.

The BeefBank charity’s sole purpose is to provide beef to Foodbank Australia and FareShare, which in turn distribute to hundreds of charitable organisations feeding the homeless and disadvantaged.

BeefBank and its distribution food charity partners Foodbank and FareShare will leverage the funds raised through the event, to create a controlled supply pipeline of nutritious meals for Queenslanders in need.

For more information visit the website charitycattledrive.au