you need a property...

noteworthy Small landholder SerieSnW 24 2010

Proudly supported by

1

Do you want your small property to be a profit-making rural business, or maybe create a dream lifestyle enhancing asset? A property plan is the key.

So, you’ve just bought your small farm or you’ve had it a while and you’ve got a bunch of jobs to do but you’re not sure where to start. You may wonder ‘how many animals can i have?’ or ‘where’s the best place to put the orchard?’ developing a ‘property plan’ helps you with the decisions that you need to make to create the property that you want. Using smart planning principles, you can maximise the positive features of your property, fix any problems and develop a staged plan to make it all happen.

The department of agriculture and Food has developed a state-of-the-art property planning package tailored especially for small landholders. it consists of a participative workshop, a detailed manual, ongoing support and reference materials plus a laminated aerial photograph. Participant discussions in the workshops have led to innovative solutions as well as the formation of local networks that provide support long after the workshop is over.

The workshop provides time out to think about the property; how to manage it and to ‘bounce’ ideas off experts.

Pho

to: l

andm

ark

DIY property plan if a workshop doesn’t suit, it is possible to develop a plan on your own. The manual is available for sale as a guide to the process for property planning. however, it is no substitute for the discussions and tailored advice in the workshop. a property plan is a tool that describes the main features of your property then incorporates and records your plans. it should also form part of your farm business plan.

Beginning the plan

The first step is often the hardest. It helps to develop a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you may frame this as a series of goals. Think about why you wanted to buy the property and what you want to do with it? identify the good, the bad and the ugly, and how to get the best out of your property. You can use a SWoT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) to guide you through the process. don’t forget to include, for example your ‘bad back’ as one of the potential problems. it is amazing how clearly the rest of the plan falls into place once this initial step of the plan is made.

Birds-eye view

The hub of your property plan usually involves three overlays on an aerial photograph. Clear overlays are used so that the physical attributes of the property can be seen and the notes made on each layer can be compared with the next. The first overlay is a map of all those features on your farm that cannot be easily changed. it includes boundary fences, buildings, yards and sheds, drainage lines, ridges, areas of remnant vegetation, water sources and earthworks.

developing a ‘property plan’ helps to sort the way through the decisions that you need to make to create

the property that you want.

Got a small property?You need a propertY plan!

When developing a property plan you will need:

• A laminated aerial photograph of the property showing; boundaries, north point; scale; contours (if available).

• Clear acetate sheeting — to fit photograph.

• Permanent markers fine tip — six colours.

• Small Landholder Information Service property planning manual — to order call (08) 9733 7777.

• To order aerial photographs email [email protected] or call (08) 9368 3925. Alternatively Landgate also offer a range of customised maps at https://www.landgate.wa.gov.au. A charge applies for both.

Property plan supplies

noteworthy

2

The second layer records the land management units (lmUs). lmUs are areas on your property that respond to management practices in a similar way; or can be managed in the same way. Usually a lmU is a map of a soil type, although some landholders will group two or more soil types into one lmU based on factors such as water logging, remnant vegetation or slope. a leisurely walk around your property is a great way to identify the lmUs.

The third layer records what you plan to do, such as:

• Protect remnant vegetation

• Site new crops

• Erect fencing

• Create fuel free zones to reduce bushfire risk

• Create windbreaks

• Establish quarantine paddocks.

Some ideas for your proposed works

Quarantine paddocks

if you currently run livestock, or intend to, you will need to quarantine newly aquired animals until they have been transfered to your worming/vacination regime. This time in quarantine will ensure that any weed seed they have brought from their previous home will have dropped or been defecated into a controlled area. The paddock should have, or be close to, livestock handling equipment.

Biosecurity facilities

a wash down bay with a high-powered hose and a drain that feeds into a bucket or container is a great way to prevent visitors or contractors bringing weeds or diseases on to your property. Consider restricting visitor’s vehicles to your quarantine areas and get them to use your farm vehicle instead.

Windbreaks

in the right position windbreaks can reduce erosion and increase production through their sheltering effects. They can also be useful as a new crop and/or animal refuge. on boundaries, windbreaks intercept dust and airborne weed seed.

Fencing

Where possible, limit the amount of fence that runs straight down a hill as this can cause erosion. Try to place fences ‘on the contour’ or at the boundaries of lmU’s. To facilitate stock movement consider a system of double fenced laneways. This allows one person to move animals from one end of the property to another. It is very useful during bushfire periods. The recommended place for gates is in the most appropriate corners of your paddocks relative to stock handling equipment.

This will reduce the need for additional strainers and make it easier to manage animals during movement.

Paddock design

The more paddocks you have the more opportunities you have to control grazing. You can use rotational grazing to prevent overgrazing, manage weeds, reduce fuel load and maximise production. Winter-wet paddocks may be unsafe, while during summer they can provide good feed and a possible bush fire refuge.

Water harvesting

roofs, dams, roaded catchments, contour banks and firebreaks may become sources of water. Any feature on your property that causes water run-off should be considered as an opportunity to collect and save water. These opportunities will need to be managed carefully to prevent erosion.

Getting more information The Small landholder information Services’ property planning manual includes a guide to common agricultural practices; however you may need more specific information. Try www.agric.wa.gov.au and www.farmingahead.org.au for a wide range of references. We also recommend your local library and the publications pages of the CSiro website www.csiro.org.au. meat and livestock australia’s website has references on a wide range of stock information at www.mla.com.au.

many agricultural industry groups, including the horse industry, have guides on best practices for their industry and it’s worth looking for them on their websites.

Insurance: are you covered?


You may identify some problems that require earthworks such as a drain, a dam or a contour bank. any project that involves earthworks needs to be surveyed, designed and sited by a professional to ensure that the structure will not fail. many of these professionals can manage installation for you as well. in some locations permission from your local government or the relevant state government department is needed before such works can be carried out.

You will also need to develop a maintenance plan for these structures. When earthworks fail the damage caused can be devastating and, the repair bill large; professional advice will reduce the risk of this happening.

Earthworks alert

noteworthy

3

ConTaCT deTailSdaFWa www.agric.wa.gov.au/small_landholder (08) 9733 7777 or (08) 9368 3807Kondinin Group www.farmingahead.com.aulandmark [email protected] (08) 9318 8260

imPorTanT diSClaimer The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food and the State of Western australia and Kondinin information Services accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it. © Western australian agriculture authority, 2010.


Looking into the future a property plan should not be static or unchanging; refer to it often, take it into the paddock and to information events. it’s a tool to communicate to contractors about the work you hired them to do and to record your progress. You can add a bushfire layer that maps the locations of fire fighting equipment, gates, water resources, high risk and low risk areas. Photocopies of this layer can be left in clearly marked containers at the gate to assist fire fighters, you may even want to lodge that plan with your local fire brigade.

a weed mapping layer allows you to document infestations when visible, and then return to the site at the appropriate time for control.

We also recommend that you mark the location of soil testing and other monitoring sites on your plan. This means that when you soil test in the future, you will be able to compare the results with earlier ones. You may want to set up monitoring stations (photo points) for recording progress of different projects, including revegetation, fencing and pasture improvement.

There is no such thing as a perfect property plan — only the best fit plan for you and it will change.

For more InFormATIonThe Small Landholder Information Service and Kondinin Group have developed a series of noteworthy factsheets. For copies of the Noteworthy factsheets or more information go to www.agric.wa.gov.au/small_landholder or contact the Small Landholder Information Service on 9733 7777.

You are nearly there! This is what a plan (overlay 3) might look like.

noteworthy

4

Notes

The Noteworthy collection continues to grow as new factsheets filled with farming tips and techniques are added each month.

Check-out the entire stable of noteworthy factsheets at the Department of Agriculture and Food’s Small Landholder Information Service

website www.agric.wa.gov.au/small_landholder or at Kondinin Group’s web site www.farmingahead.com.au

topics include:• Spray safe — stay safe• First time fencing unravelled• handle handy aTVs with respect• Chainsaws for the small landholder• Cattle ownership is a serious step — no bull• Blue-green algae• Water quality — critical for livestock• Water — sufficient summer supply saves lives• Soil testing accurate samples yield better results• Supplementary feeding — keeping livestock healthy during summer

and more...

1


Department ofAgriculture and Food

SMALL LANDHOLDER SERIESNW 01 2008noteworthy

Spray safeS TAY S A F E

The use of spray technology to control

weeds, pests and diseases is widespread

and is often heralded as the easiest

option. However, safe and effective

spraying is about more than random

chemical warfare.

Before leaping into attack with a fi st full of

chemicals, fi rst correctly identify the pest, weed

or disease you want to control. A wide range of

publications, web sites and local landcare or land

management experts can assist you with this

fi rst step. Weeds are probably the most common

thing sprayed by small landholders.

The Weeds CRC has an excellent site,

www.weeds.crc.org.au, with an extensive range

of publications that can help you identify weeds

and decide upon the best control options.

While the most popular control option for pests,

weeds and diseases often is to use a spray, this is

neither the only nor always the best option.

Get advice before loading the spray tank.

If spraying is the best option, select a chemical

that is registered for control of the pest, weed or

disease you have correctly identifi ed. In addition

to the information available through DAFWA,

there are excellent commercial databases such

as Infopest (available for purchase through

Queensland Department of Primary Industries)

and HerbiGuide (a WA-specifi c program that

also includes an excellent weed identifi cation

component, purchasable through www.

herbiguide.com.au). In the public domain, the

Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines

Authority (APVMA) has a comprehensive

database of all currently registered products and

permits, which enables you to view or download

product labels, at www.apvma.gov.au. A less

comprehensive database which also brings up the

labels and MSDSs (material safety data sheets), is

Pestgenie, at www.pestgenie.com.au

Read the labelAfter selecting a suitable product read and follow

the label directions. This is a legal requirement.

Most people only look up how much to mix. Just

as important is the timing. Weeds need to be

controlled when they are small and actively

growing. It is near impossible to kill mature

weeds, irrespective of how much spray you

use. It is also a waste of time and herbicide to

attempt to kill weeds when they are under stress

because the weather is too hot, too cold or too

dry. The weed shuts down in these conditions and

the herbicide is not taken up by the plant.

Similarly, insects need to be sprayed when they

are small and there are not too many of them.

Caterpillars larger than 8mm are just as hard

to kill as big weeds. And, if the bugs arrive in

numbers, you will experience severe damage and

losses before the spray takes effect.

Like weeds and insects, plant pathogens have to

be detected early and a spray applied before the

number of spores increases dramatically.

Check the label to see if an adjuvant has to be

added to the spray mix; what spray equipment

can be used; how to mix the pesticide in the

tank; if there is a minimum water volume

recommended; what personal protective

equipment (PPE) to wear to protect your health;

when crops or pastures can be harvested or fed

to livestock after spraying (the withholding period

or WHP); and what environmental precautions

need to observed – like not spraying when bees

are foraging.

Some chemicals can be rendered inactive by

poor water quality. Always check the label

to determine how water quality may affect a

particular chemical. Ensure you have your water

tested and are aware of any quality issues —

wetter and adjuvants are available to ameliorate

quality issues if necessary.

Select your weapon

For spot spraying, (spraying individual weeds)

a knapsack sprayer is adequate. However, if

you need to spray woody weeds or vines, such

as blackberries or lantana, a powered wand is

required. A knapsack is incapable of putting out

the volumes necessary to wet big blackberry

bushes, for example. Small boom sprays

mounted on ATVs or tractor three-point

linkages (3PLs) usually have the option of

a hand gun running off the pump.

Safe and effective spraying is

about more than random chemical

warfare

There is a variety of tools

available for chemical

application including the

knapsack sprayer and small

boom sprays mounted on ATVs.

Phot

os:

Kond

inin

Gro

up

noteworthy SMALL LANDHOLDER SERIESNW 03 2008

1



ATVs are far more than just a recreational four-wheel motorbike. They are capable of carrying small loads such as a hay bale, herding animals, towing trailers, operating small spray units or simply providing transport around your property. ATVs are also popular for recreational riding, the purpose for which they were originally designed, but must be operated with signifi cant care to avoid serious injury or death.Decrease rollover riskAs opposed to a motorbike, where the rider

and bike often go in different directions, ATV accidents often involve the vehicle rolling onto the rider. These accidents are unfortunately all too common, with ATVs the cause of more deaths across Australia than tractors, up to last year.

An ATV can weigh up to 300 kilograms and if the bike rolls over serious head or chest injury is a likely outcome. For this reason it is essential riders wear helmets at all times. In addition, it is unlikely you could lift an ATV off

yourself in the event of such an accident.The main causes of ATV rollover are cornering too fast without adequate weight shifting, travelling on steep slopes, overloading the carry racks and hitting obstacles, such as rocks.Shifting weight for safe corneringA motorbike rider can lean the entire bike into a

turn when cornering, counteracting forces that keep the bike upright. This is not possible in an ATV as all four wheels must stay on the ground for stability. An ATV rider has to rely on shifting his or her weight to counteract cornering forces, leaning into the turn to help prevent the vehicle from tipping over. The sharper the turn and the faster the speed, the higher the risk of tipping the ATV.Anyone riding an ATV must be able to quickly shift

their weight across the seat and forward into a turn when cornering. A fi rm grip on the handle bars and the foot pegs will help riders shift quickly, as will gripping the fuel tank fi rmly with your knees.When cornering, transfer your weight forward and into the direction you want to turn, your backside must actually move across the seat (not just your upper body) to get maximum stability while turning.

Lean forward when driving up a slope to prevent the ATV tipping backwards. If the slope feels too steep, avoid it and fi nd another safer route.

Take extra care when driving across a slope; shift your body so that weight is applied on the uphill side of the ATV as shown.

Check the load rating sticker and never exceed rated mass.

Handle handy ATVsW I T H R E S P E C T

ATVs are popular but must be operated with signifi cant care to avoid serious injury

or death

popular but must popular but must popular but must

serious injury

Whether farming 10 or 10,000 hectares, there are few handier, all-purpose farm vehicles than an (all-terrain vehicle) ATV.

✔ Always wear an Australian standards-approved helmet when operating an ATV. ✖ Never carry a passenger unless operating an ATV designed for two people.✔ Read the owner’s manual from cover to cover.✖ Take heed of safety warning labels on the ATV: Don’t operate if under the infl uence of drugs and alcohol, or if under the age of 16.

✔ Lean into corners and lean forward when travelling up slopes.✔ Brake evenly and fi rmly, and slow down when driving in unknown terrain.✖ Don’t ride on the roads; paved surfaces affect bike handling, especially when going from dirt to tar or vice versa.

Safety checklist

Phot

os:

Kond

inin

Gro

up

noteworthy SMALL LANDHOLDER SERIESNW 02 2008

1



What you will need

• A helper

• Pliers

• Posts (strainers and drop posts)

• Wire

• Post hole-digger

• Gripples and applicator or wire-strainers

• Crow bar

• Safety glasses

• Gloves

fencing tool kit

Landholders have a legal obligation to fence

their property.

Local councils can provide some basic guidelines

and minimum fencing requirements.

Generally the cost of a boundary fence between

private land is shared equally between both

parties. Boundary fences between private land

and the Crown are the responsibility of the

landholder.

Creating boundaries

Whether replacing an existing fence or erecting

a new one the fi rst step is to decide on the most

appropriate fence for the job. Fences can be

divided into two broad categories — conventional

and electric.

Conventional fences use prefabricated rolls, plain

wires or barbed wire to create a physical stock

proof barrier.

Electric fences rely on a psychological barrier

created by an electric shock to prevent stock

crossing the fence.

The most appropriate fence design will

depend on a number of factors:

1. The type of animal needing to be kept in or

out: Different animals have different fencing

requirements — cattle for instance place much

higher pressures on fences than sheep.

2. Whether the fence is an internal fence or

boundary fence: Boundary fences may need to

be sturdier than internal fences. Barbed wire

may be recommended for boundary fences.

3. The topography of the site: Does the

fence pass through gullies or up

steep slopes and other issues such

as whether the fence will have to

withstand fl oods or fi re.

Other landholders and local fencing

suppliers can help determine the most

suitable fence for your application.

The make-up of a fence

A fence consists of three main

elements; strainer assembly at either

end; intermediate posts, droppers and

wire stretched tight between

the strainers.

Strainer assemblies

These are the most important part of any fence.

Their job is to transfer the tension in the wires

to the ground. There are two main strainer

assembly designs —the diagonal stay and the box.

(See Figure 1 on page 2.)

The diagonal stay assembly is most suited to

heavy, dense soil conditions. Where more

strength is required, for example in sandy or

boggy conditions, a box assembly would be best.

Intermediate posts and droppers

Intermediate posts perform two functions; to

guide the line wires off the ground at the correct

spacings and, to some extent, provide

lateral resistance to pressure by

transferring it into the ground.

A well-designed fence will be

cost-effective, require little

maintenance and last a lifetime.

First time fencing U N R AV E L L E D

The fi rst step is to decide on the most appropriate fence design for

the chosen purpose.

The fi rst step The fi rst step

Well-designed and constructed fences are essential

infrastructure on any property. Without quality fencing

maintaining livestock can be a real headache. Straying

stock are not only a danger to themselves and passing

motorists but also a sure-fi re way to get the neighbours off

side. Luckily smart investment in the right fencing material

and a little fencing know-how can go a long way to managing

both four- and two-legged creatures. Phot

os:

Kond

inin

Gro

up

As seen in RIPE

magazine

4

you need a property...

Documents