Keeping a watchful eye on over 500 kilometres of fence, traversing connecting roads and properties not far from the NSW border, is a challenge the Darling Downs Moreton rabbit board (DDMRB) have embraced for over a century. Now they’re turning to the latest technology in an attempt to improve efficiency and help QLD farmers keep rabbits out of Queensland.

The DDMRB have joined the social media phenomenon in recent months, setting up Facebook and Twitter profiles, to better engage with the public, help property owners manage pests on their property, and offer an accessible online forum to report rabbit sightings and fence or property issues.

The DDMRB are also testing back to base gate sensor technology, approving a small trial to be implemented later in 2014.

Cr Ross Bartley, Chairman of the DDMRB, explains;

“Our staff have been monitoring gates on the fence manually on patrols for decades. It can be several days before a specific gate is checked on rotation. This new technology notifies our head office when a gate is open for longer that it should be, allowing us to send staff immediately to the location. We hope the trial can deliver greater efficiency to our every day operations”

The data collected will also help the DDMRB engage with local residents in problem areas where it is identified gates are left open longer than necessary to get a vehicle or livestock through.

Refactor, a Queensland based technology solutions company, was appointed for the gate sensor trial utilizing their secluded.io product and founder Steve Dalton was excited about the opportunity to help;

“Agriculture technology is a growing market in Australia and it’s great the DDMRB are experimenting with solutions like these gate sensors to help QLD farmers and manage pests. We’re proud to be a part of that work.”

Rabbits destroy the environment and cost the Australian economy more than $600million each year. The DDMRB manage 555kms of rabbit-proof fence in Queensland, and monitor compliance with the Land protection (pest & stock route management) Act 2002.