Carnarvon Rangeland Barrier Fence
Overview
Location – Gascoyne, WA
Length – 260km (Ongoing)
Application – Exclusion Fencing
The Client
The Carnarvon Rangeland Barrier Fence (CRBF) is a group of pastoralists in the northwest of WA who joined forces to secure the necessary resource and funding to construct a wild dog proof fence and limit the devastation cause to their grazing operations.
The Challenge
Wild dogs had been steadily building in number over recent years and bit by bit wore away the ability of local pastoralist to effectively control their properties. There had been many attempts to bait and destroy the wild dogs, but they continued to grow in number. Stocking numbers in the predominately sheep region dwindled, putting pressure on the finances of landowners.
The Solution
After many years of lobbying the state government, $986,000 in funding was awarded to the group of six properties through the Wild Dog Program. This would pay for 50% of the project, the remainder would be privately funded.
Cameron Tubby (Wahroonga Station) contacted numerous potential material suppliers. After a visit to the fence line with CRBF members and Southern Wire, a design was settled on that met the requirements from a funding point of view and would be fit for the purpose of excluding the dogs. This was a custom manufactured 10/112/15 Fastlock plus 30cm Hinged Apron, with one row of barbed wire above, installed on 180cm Galv Steel Posts at 10m spacings.
Southern Wire worked closely with the CRBF to ensure that deliveries were made in a timely manner to allow the installation team to continue unimpacted.
The Result
The completed fence around the cell now protects 805,000 ha of grazing country. The rough estimations are that stocking capability will increase by 350% from before the fence was in place. This gives pastoralists the freedom and ability to make sound decisions around their grazing programs as they re-build their stock numbers.
Testimonials
“Dealing with Southern Wire was good. The combination of Southern Wire and Elders worked out well…our rep was good. There was a lot of work dealing with the logistics through Covid shutdowns and disruptions…being locally manufactured was a big part of our plans” – Cameron Tubby (Wahroonga Station)