Emus & Kangaroos Ruin Wheat Farms

The Problem

Emus continue to cause havoc in the South Coast of Western Australia. A wheat farmer in Cascade was dealing with the continual issue of wild emus damaging his crop. The farmer had an existing fence, however it was more than 30 years old, it was battered by vermin and only had support posts every 10 metres. He estimates that he was losing approximately 1tonne of wheat per hectare. Emus and kangaroos were overpowering the barriers that were in place. The lack of strength in the fence and the strong nature of both animals meant that breakages were happening often, resulting in damages to his crops.

The Solution

After a visit to the property to get a personal look at the issue, Waratah and a local distributor devised a plan that would provide a solution to the farmers problems. Firstly, posts were erected, a pattern of a Jio Star and then a 180cm Jio MaxY post was repeated around the perimeter. The spacing consisted of 7 meters between each post. The combination of both Jio Star and Jio MaxY posts and the spacing used ensures extreme strength and minimal movement of the fence. When vermin lean or put pressure against a barrier, many fences will move or bend; to guarantee the fence stays structurally sound, Jio Clips were used to spread the load. To further secure the area and deter animals from leaning against the fence, barbed wire was applied on the top and bottom of the fence.   

Using the farmers estimate of losing 1 tonne of wheat every hectare, the cost of the fence will be covered in two seasons.