Victorian Agriculture Minister Ros Spence announced on Wednesday that new regulations will be prepared for the use of virtual fencing and herding technology for the state’s cattle.
The announcement followed engagement with industry, manufacturers and researchers on virtual fencing to understand the animal welfare impacts of the technology, and comes a few weeks after the NSW Government legalised the technology in that state.
Ms Spence expects the regulations will be finalised by the end of the year, following further engagement with relevant stakeholders, including animal welfare groups.
“We know that Victorian farmers are looking to use virtual fencing and herding technology to improve productivity and farmer safety, which is why we’re making decisions to ensure farmers have the best technology up to date,” Ms Spence said.
“It is critical that we have appropriate safeguards in place to protect animal welfare, while enabling innovation on farms and these new regulations will provide a framework to achieve this.”
Virtual fencing uses collars with GPS and wireless technology to control livestock without physical fences.
If the animal leaves a designated area, the collars send out three warning noise and vibration cues and additional stimulus to encourage the animal to return to the area.
Dairy farmers are especially interested in the technology.
A trial of Halter virtual fencing technology at Agriculture Victoria’s Ellinbank SmartFarm in Gippsland will continue conducting research until June 30 — giving Victorian farmers the chance to experience first-hand this new technology close to home.
Since July 2024, dairy cattle at the SmartFarm have been fitted with solar-powered smart collars that use electronic cues to contain animals within a virtual fence and guide them to areas of the farm via a mobile phone app. It also allows farmers to monitor their cows’ location, health and reproductive status.
The new Victorian regulations aim to make sure the roll out of virtual fencing across the state will improve animal welfare outcomes, farm safety, productivity and staff wellbeing.
Agriculture Victoria is also actively contributing to the development of the Australian Animal Welfare Guide for Virtual Fencing, a project led by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
This guide will aim to support a consistent regulatory approach across states and territories, while ensuring optimal animal welfare outcomes where virtual fencing is used.
NSW, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania have legalised the technology. Victoria, South Australia and the ACT are still without access to virtual fencing.
In Tasmania, 23 per cent of dairy cows are being managed with the technology, while in New Zealand more than 200,000 cattle are wearing the electronic collars.
“The NSW Government has listened to ... the farming industry and will work with both industry and animal welfare groups to ensure we get the right balance for delivering virtual fencing on farms,” NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said on April 30.
“These changes seek to reduce costs for farming and to enable agile paddock formation across land holdings to meet the needs of farmers while also protecting the welfare of cattle.”
Under Victoria’s animal welfare laws, electronic collars are currently only permitted for livestock when a scientific procedures licence is in place with Animal Ethics Committee approval.
Research funded by the Tasmanian Government showed cows with virtual fencing stayed in their area 99.85 per cent of the time and the amount of shocks they received got less and less the more they had them on.
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