Nance Haxton reported this story on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 12:54:00

ELEANOR HALL: It is one of the biggest cattle scams in Queensland's history. Almost a million dollars worth of cattle have been stolen from a western Queensland property.



And grazier Scott Harris is now offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the return of the 860 bullocks.



The rural lobby group Agforce says the theft points to the urgent need to update legislation covering stock theft, as Nance Haxton reports.



NANCE HAXTON: It's a devastating economic blow for western Queensland grazier Scott Harris. The cattle were in prime condition ready for slaughter and worth around $1200 each.



By the time he realised what had happened, 860 bullocks were stolen from his two properties.



Charleville stock squad detective sergeant Warren Baker says it's one of the biggest cattle thefts in recent Queensland history.



WARREN BAKER: The total value is around about $885,000 worth of cattle that have been stolen on this particular occasion.



NANCE HAXTON: What has the stock squad done investigating so far? You've put notices out interstate so that hopefully those cattle can't be sold?



WARREN BAKER: All abattoirs should be well aware of this brand and these cattle having been reported stolen. But you know, certainly this particular case, it's a large number of cattle that have gone missing and over a short period of time which is hopefully going to work in our favour.



NANCE HAXTON: Stock owner Scott Harris has put up a $100,000 reward in the hope it leads to the cattle's return.



SCOTT HARRIS: I don't know, they've been trucked out of there… yeah they've done it in two lifts, they came off two separate properties, the properties are 30 k apart and they were - both mobs of cattle were in very close proximity of, you know, good yard, good facilities.



NANCE HAXTON: Mr Harris says he hopes the cattle are found somewhere as it would prove difficult to sell them.



SCOTT HARRIS: Yeah I was pretty shocked actually because it's always been regarded as a very, very close knit community round here, a very safe area and yeah like a lot of the locals around there just didn't want to believe it and neither did I. Times are changing, times are getting tough.



NANCE HAXTON: Rural lobby group Agforce says the enormity of this cattle duffing case highlights the need for Queensland's Attorney General to strengthen laws around stock theft.



Agforce cattle board member Ian Harsant says stock squad police need to be given more powers.



IAN HARSANT: Being bullocks and horses makes it all the more valuable but also would make them all the more hard to dispose of and that's why we would sort of perhaps be hopeful that perhaps they'll turn up somewhere but because there's only two places, either through a sale yard or through the processors and well to ship that amount is not just easily done.



NANCE HAXTON: What would be the incentive for people to steal cattle in this way if they are so hard to shift?



IAN HARSANT: Oh well I suppose a financial incentive, the big money involved, but they may hold them for a period or do it in small numbers, I don't know. That's about the only way they'd do I think. And with the reward that's offering, you can only think it'd create enough interest for something to come out.



NANCE HAXTON: These cattle were ready for the abattoir, so really were in peak condition.



IAN HARSANT: Well that's right, that's right. And of course these laws you know, they were framed in the18th century probably or 19th century and it was the days before there were any such things as digital cameras or even DNA can be used with livestock now.



ELEANOR HALL: That's Ian Harsant from Agforce ending Nance Haxton's report.