THE location of workers is a common issue on pastoral properties during mustering but an Upper Eyre Peninsula sheep station has found a cost-effective solution using a smart-phone app and Next Gen phone coverage.
Brothers Nigel and John Turnbull and their parents Mark and Kathy, who own the 24,000-hectare Moonabie Station, are using the Real Time GPS Tracker app downloaded on their smartphones while mustering on motorbikes.
The app tracks and displays each musterer showing the direction they are moving in and ensuring no area has been missed. With the click of a button, they are able to see where each member of the mustering team is to an accuracy of half a metre.
This is important when mustering paddocks that are 4000ha in thick bush/scrub where visibility is limited to 50 metres to 100m.
The app is also a good safety tool in that it can be activated by remote command to locate someone if they have not checked in or returned home.
A potential lack of privacy is always a concern with anyone able to track movements when the app is on, but Nigel's account connects only with his brother and father. Any short-term workers can use the app but are connected with a separate short-term account.
Nigel says it also uses significant battery power so it is important to start the muster with full batteries and potentially use portable chargers.
The Turnbulls switch it on and off as required to save battery power, particularly during long musters.
Nigel is keen to implement further technology advancements across their business including integrating GPS into sheep eartags. This may include tagging a judas sheep in a mob to direct them where to go for mustering, or provide data on the location and grazing habits of the mob.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
