The NSW Government has legalised virtual fencing, leaving Victorian farmers still waiting for access to the technology.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
VFF president Brett Hosking said the change wasn’t a surprise.
“NSW’s move to legalise virtual fencing is welcome and expected,” he said.
“If Victoria doesn’t act fast, we risk losing investment and innovation to other states with clearer regulatory pathways.
“As the nation’s largest dairy state, Victoria has an opportunity to be a leader in the adoption of innovation on-farm if we’re given the right regulatory environment.”
Virtual fencing is when livestock wear collars that communicate with GPS and reception towers to form a virtual ‘fence’, controlling the movement and location of animals without the need for a physical fence. External fences are still required.
Mr Hosking said the VFF supported the technology.
“It improves animal welfare by reducing stress by providing livestock a controlled and safe environment, enables real-time monitoring by using technology to bring the owner closer to their livestock, and supports more sustainable, productive land use by allowing flexible grazing solutions,” he said.
“The technology works, the risks are known and the regulatory changes required are modest.
“This is an example where red tape is delaying the uptake of innovation. Now is the opportunity for Victoria to lead on innovation in this space.”
A Victorian Government spokesperson said virtual fencing research at Ellinbank SmartFarm, which concludes on June 30, would help them in the next steps.
“We understand Victorian farmers are keen to see the results of our research into virtual fencing due to be completed next month,” the spokesperson said.
“We are investigating ways to ensure animal welfare is a top priority, alongside the benefits to production and pasture health.”
The NSW Farmers’ Animal Welfare Committee also welcomed the changes.
Chair Rob McIntosh said the announcement was a sign of positive change on the horizon for many farmers across the state.
“Across Australia and even the world, farmers are already making the most of virtual fencing, and it’s about time we do the same here in NSW,” Mr McIntosh said.
“This technology can save lives by helping move livestock to safe areas in floods, fires or other natural disasters, without putting humans or animals at risk.
“It can also help reduce fencing costs, control noxious weeds and help with a whole other host of things on-farm — there’s almost no boundaries to what this technology can do.”
Mr McIntosh said regulations should be introduced swiftly to ensure the technology could be rolled out across NSW.
“These fences are a game changer for farmers, and we are excited about the opportunities they provide for livestock management in NSW.
“Enabling us to use this technology with cattle is a real leap forward, and we hope that the technology can be developed and rolled out for use with other livestock in the future.
“Tools like this will unlock productivity gains for our industry, so we can put more home-grown food on Aussie tables, more often.”
The change was announced on Wednesday, April 30, with NSW joining Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania in allowing 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.
“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.
Senior researcher for the Tasmania Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tasmania, Dr Megan Verdon, said researchers used milk to assess the physiological level of stress in cows.
“We analysed 2500 milk samples and there was no evidence of more stress between the electric fence group and virtual fencing group,” Dr Verdon said.
VFF UDV president Bernie Free said the system could be used remotely in bushfires or floods to get cows to safe areas.
“Every way you look at it, there are advantages for the community, the environment, the cows and the dairy farmer,” Mr Free said.
– with Rick Bayne.
Journalist