What we cover
Protecting a farming property from theft or getting a live view of a remote tank, takes a custom approach. There is no one size fits all. In these sections, it’s all about helping you figure out what your place needs.
You will read about a couple of producers and how remote cameras are keeping an eye on things for them, chances are your place will need a mix of different solutions. As you read through, consider what you want to achieve by using cameras across the place. Like the peace of mind that you know for sure, no one has crossed the grid while your away, or that there 100% definitely is water in that tank, because you can see it.
BROADACRE
FEEDLOT
LIVESTOCK
DAIRY
NATIONAL PARK
BROADACRE
The trouble with broadacre properties is that they are mostly unfenced and with numerous access points around the place, which for the operation of a cotton or grain growing property is essential, but for property security is not ideal. The key philosophy of deterrence, remains top priority. So it’s important to cover the main entrances plus as many other entrances as you can, particularly off main roads and the furthest away. We want the cameras to be prominent to everyone driving past, as the aim is for everyone in the area to know this place is covered.
Cameras across the machinery sheds should be included to protect from equipment tampering. It’s pretty rare for a header to go walkabout (but not unheard of) and more common for the batteries/wiring to be stripped. Given the volume of fuel on site and the frequency of users topping up machinery, 24/7 cameras on the fuel are essential if you want to know where it all went. Other placements for consideration are weighbridges and silos for security and a record of grain movement as well as water channels and pivots from an irrigation management point of view.
DARLINGTON POINT, NSW
An ANPR (auto number plate recognition) camera captures plate digits. These are always paired with a wider view camera to get a broader view of the vehicle.
ANPR CAMERA
CONDOBOLIN, NSW
Security cameras monitoring across the main driveway and loading area with vehicle/human detection.
ZOOM CAMERA
GATTON, QLD
Full time security camera coverage over the equipment as well as capturing movement throughout the compound.
FIXED CAMERA
BROOKSTEAD, QLD
The inside shed camera doubles as a security camera and OH&S record. If someone flogs the tractor or gets run over by it, you will have footage of it.
FIXED CAMERA
KOOBA STATION - DARLINGTON POINT, NSW
“God forbid something happens we can go in the next morning pull up the cameras and go through license plates, and feeds at certain times. It’s very handy.“- Simon Lok, Water and Operations Manager, Kooba Station.
FEEDLOTS
Vehicles are always coming and going on a feedlot making it sometimes hard to work out who is meant to be there and what that last truck was doing there. Again, as in most instances we recommend the number plate camera on the main entrances. Machinery and equipment are generally stored relatively close to the office making it cost effective to cover the main sheds and equipment with cameras.
Using cameras to monitor animal welfare is increasingly popular across feedlots, as well as piggeries and poultry farms. We know that the vast majority of operators take better care of their stock than city folk do their pets; with cameras, you can prove it.
With places that have intensive work areas, it can be useful to provide cameras for workplace health and safety. Having a camera on the crush or loading ramp and around the key working areas, means that if an injury or an incident occurs you can have a record. It’s not about watching the workers to make sure they aren’t slacking off, it is about protecting them. If someone gets kicked or pinned you want to be able to know how it happened.
MARLBOROUGH, QLD
Weighbridge camera for record keeping.
ANPR CAMERA
MARLBOROUGH, QLD
Yards and loading ramp for security and OH&S.
FIXED CAMERA
LOTUS CREEK, QLD
Remote monitoring of river pump as well as Wi-Fi for remote control.
FIXED CAMERA
SPRINGSURE, QLD
Chemical shed and fuel security camera mounted on silo.
FIXED CAMERA
BARMOUNT FEEDLOT - MARLBOROUGH, QLD
“If a workplace health and safety incident were to occur, we have 24/7 recording available that we can go back and review. The Land Watch systems are a great solution to help us in our business long term.” – Andrew Conaghan
LIVESTOCK
Generally, a livestock operation has less accesses than a cropping property and is protected by a boundary fence. making it easier to monitor vehicles accessing the property. Then again, some of the most valuable assets are out roaming around the paddock.
To protect the gear at the main shed complex, we will start with an ANPR camera at the main grid with secondary cameras around the sheds, fuel and yards
For stock theft prevention and capture, the aim is to monitor the roads and intersections. The main entrances should be covered as a minimum, but a pair of pliers quickly makes a new entrance, so for this reason, all entry cameras should double as road monitoring cameras and all main road frontages should be monitored. Should a vehicle pass one camera and not the next in the expected timeframe, it can be assumed they have stopped in between. Maybe they got a flat tire, or maybe they liked the look of a couple of ewes.
WANDOAN, QLD
An ANPR camera is essential at a grid where vehicles are often moving quickly.
ANPR CAMERA
TAROOM, QLD
Security camera on the loading ramp to monitor cattle truck deliveries and pick up. Vehicle alert notifications.
ZOOM CAMERA
COOLAC, NSW
Security camera covering remote sheep yards. This system also included a Wi-Fi access point for remote connectivity.
FIXED CAMERA
SPRINGSURE, QLD
Full time coverage of the fuel tanks to keep track of fuel usage.
ZOOM CAMERA
REDHILL - COOLAC, NSW
“With Land Watch, it allowed us to transfer Wi-Fi to intensive areas of the stockyard. It not only gives us peace of mind of the security, but also occupational health and safety. We told them what we wanted, and they knew what they could do straight away.” – Andy Graham.
DAIRIES
Whilst similar in many ways to monitoring any livestock property, a dairy also requires increased coverage around the cattle handling areas. Typically, a dairy will have a higher level of employee and contractor traffic in and out each day, plus the continual movement of tankers and feed deliveries.
For this reason, ANPR cameras on the main roads are essential with extra coverage over the fuel and vats for recording purposes. You need to know the vehicles that are using the fuel or taking the milk.
Aside from keeping an eye on the place for security, many dairy farms will also utilise additional cameras to allow further remote monitoring. This may include a portable camera unit to cover calving paddocks from a welfare point of view as well as cameras on the yard areas and lane for stock management and animal welfare.
KYOGLE, NSW
FTZ camera to check on calving paddock and water troughs.
PTZ CAMERA
TIRAU, NZ
Camera over milking area for animal welfare and staff OH&S.
FIXED CAMERA
TIRAU, NZ
Night vision of feed pad for remote stock monitoring.
PTZ CAMERA
ORANGE, NSW
Camera mounted on a shed capturing vehicle movement and a broader view to the dairy.
ZOOM CAMERA
WATKINS FARM - TIRAU, NZ
“Once we saw the effectiveness of the cameras in answering our questions about the fuel we just started thinking, where else across the properties, do we wish we could see when we are not there.” – Michael Watkins.
NATIONAL PARKS
There are some assets that you just can’t put a value on, like things of cultural or environmental significance. In this regard, obtaining footage of thieves and vandals is important but deterrence is of absolute priority. Machinery and even stock on agricultural properties can be replaced and are often covered by insurance, but old growth forests, prehistoric fossils or remnants of pre settlement cultures are one of a kind. We only have one shot at protecting these areas, once damaged or stolen they are often gone for good.
Depending on the situation, live monitoring can be a useful option or simply having a prominent system where it is not expected, for example at the entrance to the park or camping area. In all cases, due to the often remote and secluded position with easy public access, it is imperative to have off camera recording.
Unfortunately, some of these areas are targeted by organised crime. Yes, even in Australia there is a black market for artefacts, so we step it up a notch when protecting these areas. Additional backups and fail safes are implemented such as additional storage and back up power supplies.
NILPENA EDIACARA NATIONAL PARK, SA
“What made this project really exciting, was how we could secure the site to make it both accessible for people but also make sure that over time the fossils weren’t stolen.” – Jason Irving. Director of National Parks Program, DEW, SA.
“We are serious about protecting it and now we have got the systems in place to protect it.” Jason Irving.