Our unique Western Plains environment will soon receive better protection from pest animals and weeds, thanks to exclusion fencing projects.

Local landholders have been involved in nine projects which sees 376 kilometres of fencing erected, effectively enclosing 331,170 hectares.

The joint effort between Western Local Land Services and local farmers will not only protect against grazing pressure from feral pigs, wild dogs and kangaroos but it will also act as a biosecurity measure for any emergency animal health outbreak such as foot and mouth or lumpy skin disease.

Landholder, Mark Kearines from Broken Range, who will construct 60 kilometres of exclusion fencing was enthusiastic about the program.

“This program was a no-brainer for me to apply for and I’m grateful to receive the support to construct my exclusion fence,” Mr Kearines said. “I’m looking forward to having more control on unmanaged grazing pressure which will importantly allow me to plan for and manage dry times and droughts better."

“Equally important to the primary production benefits are the benefits that will be forthcoming for the local environment. That’s something I’m very passionate about.”

Western Local Land Services’ Brian Dohnt believes the projects will have many direct and indirect benefits.

“We know from speaking with landowners who have exclusion fencing that there are immediate and long-term benefits to primary production and the local environment,” Mr Dohnt said.

“Through this program, we’ve been able to offer landholders a great opportunity to receive support for exclusion fencing, with the benefits to flow across communities and Western NSW more broadly. The level of interest this program received was very high and it’s great to see the projects and on-ground works progressing well.”

Exclusion fencing has long been seen as useful option to help with farm viability.

As far back as 2018, fourth-generation Enngonia farmer, Phillip Ridge erected 100km of exclusion fencing in attempts to revive the productivity of his land after years of relentless drought and rising grazing pressures.

Mr Ridge said the 100km exclusion fence was designed to tick all the boxes. The work updated the boundary fences that were in great need of repair and, by making the new fence a little bit higher at 1.8m, he was able to reduce grazing pressure from kangaroos, the wild dog predation of sheep and the spread of woody weed.

“The glory of it all is you’ll be able to control the grazing pressure,” Phillip said at the time. “In 10 to 15 years’ time, putting up an exclusion fence will be the norm, not the exception, in the Western division.”

Fencing supplier Waratah’s NSW rural sales manager Daniel Crisp said, even back in 2018 farmers in places like Walgett, Bourke and Mungindi were building exclusion fences.

“Farmers can see the benefits, through increased productivity, so they are self-funding their own fences. A lot of farmers wish they’d put it up 10 years ago,” he said.

Clearly the intervening few years have not dulled the enthusiasm around the benefits of exclusion fencing.

Find out more information about the current program here.