Property computer mapping is one of the most effective business management tools available to primary producers.
Computer mapping can assist with the management and planning of infrastructure like fences and irrigation lines, calculating paddock areas, monitoring land condition and to reduce the threat of bushfires to assets on your property.
An effective property map can also form part of a biosecurity plan, to ensure compliance with vegetation management regulations and to contest land valuations.
There is a vast array of online data landholders can access ranging from satellite imagery to the historical aerial photographs and the latest state government regulated vegetation mapping that can all be used to create an effective property map.
I’ve been delivering mapping workshops for more than a decade now and I’ve never seen such interest from producers. We’ve had nearly 300 producers attend 16 workshops in the past four months with a waiting list in some areas. More workshops are planned in Cunnamulla and Morven later this month.
The all-day workshops allow producers to start mapping their properties, demonstrate how to link a handheld GPS to the computer map, attach photos and learn how to look at a property in 3D to determine slope lengths and flood modelling. There’s also demonstrations on how to use computer mapping tools to assist with water planning and grazing pressure analysis.
In addition to delivering workshops, the AgForce mapping team has been busy creating a product to help our members understand the impact of new vegetation mapping layers released in the wake of new laws that took effect earlier this year. Over the past fortnight, we’ve emailed thousands of individual GeoPDF maps to AgForce members so they can check how the latest vegetation and protected plants mapping may affect their business.
We’ve also developed a user guide to help members understand how they can interact with and view historical and current layers, and make the most of their personalised maps.
