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Movement analyses were conducted for 50 goats across southern Australia using GPS satellite collars. A radio or satellite-tracked animal used to direct culling operations is generally called a ‘Judas’ animal. Goats used as ‘Judas’ animals in control operations were compared with non-‘Judas’ goats in the states of South Australia and Victoria, respectively. Their movement in two land systems were also compared. Dynamic Brownian Bridges Movement Models were used to calculate home ranges (95% utilisation areas). Changes in movement behaviour were identified to partition sedentary behaviour from long-distance movement events, defined here as ranging. Eleven goats exhibited ranging behaviour and moved from 9 to 33 km between their home ranges. After partitioning, their home ranges varied from 1.97 to 223.8 km2. In this study in the Southern Australian Mallee regions, non-‘Judas’ goats had significantly smaller home ranges than ‘Judas’ goats. However, no significant differences were found in the ranging distances between non-‘Judas’ goats and ‘Judas’ goats. Understanding these two distinct forms of goat movement is important in the planning and budgeting of removal operations. To demonstrate this a simple goat management decision tool is used to illustrate the biases that can result in the expected hours of removal operations when the assumptions about goat movement are ill-defined.

Electronic tracking provides a unique way to document behaviour by cows on a continuous basis. Over 2 years 17 beef cows with calves were fitted with global positioning system (GPS) devices programmed to record uncorrected GPS locations at 1-s intervals in a semi-desert rangeland. Each cow was periodically observed during daylight hours and foraging, walking and stationary (standing/lying) activity times were recorded across days and individual cows to calculate a mean travel rate for each activity. Data without observers present were collected immediately preceding and following the abrupt weaning of calves at between 223 and 234 days of age to evaluate the potential of classifying various travel rates into foraging, walking and stationary activity. The three activities were further characterised within a 24-h period based on the sun’s angle with respect to the horizon. Only data from cows whose equipment acquired ≥ 90% of the potential GPS positional data among consecutive days were analysed. Due to problems with the equipment, data from two cows in 2009 and two cows in 2011 met these criteria. The interval evaluated consisted of four 24-h periods before abrupt weaning and seven 24-h periods following weaning. Results suggested that uncorrected 1-s positional GPS data are satisfactory to classify the behaviour by free-ranging beef cows into foraging, walking and stationary activities. Furthermore, abrupt weaning caused cows to change their spatial and temporal behaviour across and within days. Overall, travel by cows increased post-weaning with subtle within-day behavioural changes. Further research will be required to fully understand the biological importance of spatio-temporal behaviour to optimise cattle and landscape management goals.

Virtual fences (VF) are based on sensory cues delivered to domestic animals with the aim of controlling their spatial behaviour without any physical barrier. VF represent an approach for controlling the distribution of free-ranging large herbivores in large rangeland areas where the implementation of human control or the use of physical fencing is made impossible by their cost, environmental concerns or specific regulations. The potential of using VF for sheep was investigated by studying the spatial behaviour of groups of 5 or 32 ewes submitted to a commercial animal-borne VF device aimed at containing them in a defined area in a series of experiments. All tests were performed in pasture alleys virtually divided in their centre by a 4-m-wide warning/punishment zone). The ewes were introduced on one side of the zone, the other side being made attractive by the presence of tall grass (feed attractant), the presence of peers (social attractant) or being made unattractive by the presence of short grass (same feed as in the alley). In a first experiment, ewes were trained in groups of 5 with a feed attractant, following a 3-stage procedure: 30-min adaptation, 90-min training with a visual cue (three white strings above the wire of the VF) and 30-min test without a visual cue. In a second experiment, the test stage was repeated for each group with feed, social and zero attractants. In a third experiment, the test with feed attractant was performed with groups of 32 ewes comprising previously trained and equipped ewes mixed in different percentages of trained: naïve (untrained and unequipped) ewes (100 : 0, 75 : 25, 50 : 50 and 0 : 100%). One year later, this test was repeated with a feed attractant either close (30 m) or far (60 m) from the punishment zone. By increasing the distance to the feed attractant, it was anticipated that this would stimulate the conflict of motivation between feed and peers. Ewes learned readily the concept of VF after a couple of contacts with the punishment zone. In the second experiment in the test with a social attractant, a few trained ewes penetrated the VF to re-associate with peers located in the pen opposite the VF. Expression of the behaviour to challenge or cross the punishment zone differed widely among individuals. In mixed groups, naïve ewes crossed the punishment zone and lead part of their trained peers across the punishment zone, regardless of the distance of the feed attractant from the punishment zone. The results suggest that VF can be used to alter the distribution of grazing sheep within large fenced areas although they cannot replace conventional fences for absolute control.

Remote Australia constitutes ~75% of the continent and is a dry, often harsh environment in which to live; consequently less than 3% of Australia’s population reside there but it is also where a substantial proportion of Australia’s export wealth is derived. It is therefore important that attention is paid to ensuring that remote locations in Australia are liveable and that innovative strategies are pursued to attract and retain a productive workforce in these places. Attracting and retaining skilled and professional staff is a problem not limited to remote, or even rural and regional locations in Australia. There is strong evidence to suggest that it is increasingly a global problem and organisations throughout the world are seeking innovative strategies to attract and develop new talent and developing other strategies to retain that talent. This paper examines population and labour mobility trends in remote Australia and the issues that have been influential on rates of staff attraction and retention, most particularly adequate housing, services and infrastructure. The second half of the paper examines a variety of recommendations and strategies developed by the public and private sectors to more effectively attract and retain skilled and professional staff to remote locations. This paper does not claim to be a rigorous analysis of all remote areas of Australia nor a comprehensive study of attraction and retention strategies. Rather, it aims to highlight the complexity, depth and interconnectedness of the issues for communities, public and private sectors and how they apply in remote locations in Australia.

A single procedure that land managers can readily use to simultaneously monitor populations of multiple pest animal species would enhance capacity to effectively manage environmental impacts in the Australian rangelands. Such a procedure should be efficient and provide a standard for data collection, enabling meaningful evaluation of changes through time. This study compared the efficiency of two indices, namely spotlight counts and a variety of passive activity indices, for detecting rabbit, cat, fox and dingo activity. Spotlight counts were more practical for estimating rabbit activity but were poor indicators of cat, fox or dingo activity. Records of animal tracks on discrete 200 m dirt road segments with favourable substrate and separated by at least 2 km are considered optimal for collectively monitoring relative changes through time in rabbit, cat, fox and dingo activity.

Kangaroos are culturally significant to Aboriginal people but Aboriginal people are generally not involved in kangaroo management or in the kangaroo industry. Our research has provided the first opportunity for Aboriginal people in South Australia to present their perspectives on the commercial harvest of kangaroos. Research methods were qualitative, involving consultations with authoritative Aboriginal people about their perspectives, aspirations, and how they see their rights and interests in relation to the commercial harvest of kangaroos. We found diverse views on this topic from Aboriginal research participants. For some Aboriginal people, strict cultural protocols preclude any involvement in the commercial harvest, but for people from other regions where the cultural laws concerning kangaroos are quite different, there is interest in developing enterprises based on kangaroo harvest. Despite the diversity of views about commercial kangaroo harvest, Aboriginal people across South Australia highly value kangaroos, and want to be included in decision-making processes for kangaroo management. There is potential for appropriate engagement of Aboriginal people in kangaroo management through improved communication, greater understanding and respect for the diversity of Aboriginal perspectives and protocols regarding native wildlife.

This paper reports the results of three cafeteria trials used to study palatability variation between the sex phenotypes of bladder saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria Heward ex Benth.). The results of the first trial show that Merino sheep preferentially grazed female samples compared to male ones, which supported earlier paddock-scale grazing trials and observations. In the second trial, the removal of male flower spikes led to increased consumption of male samples, suggesting that male flower spikes contain a grazing deterrent. The third trial showed that sheep were able to detect male material with or without spikes even when it was completely hidden within female plant material. In combination with observations made during the trials, these results suggest that there is a grazing deterrent present in male plants and that sheep use the male flower spike primarily as a visual cue when making grazing decisions.

A comprehensive review of the Western Division of New South Wales was carried out in 1998/99. The review addressed economic, environmental and social issues in New South Wales' rangelands. Six commissioned studies examined these issues in more detail. The recommendations of the review centred on streamlining administrative procedures, including Acts and regulations, addressing integrated natural resource management from a regional perspective by involving leaseholders and relevant stakeholders as representative of the broader community. It was seen as essential that scientific research and expertise, and technological advances in knowledge, be utilised by decision makers in coming to more coordinated land management decisions.

Experienced members of a herd of cattle, referred to as social models in this paper, may play an important part in the searching pattern of naive animals. Naive animals may distribute themselves more evenly because their expectations of preferred areas are not as developed as the expectations of experienced animals. We tested three treatments to investigate if social models tend to transmit information about places of grazing to naive ones or if food distribution tends to be more uniform when animals have less experience with the area. A fenced paddock with 192 trays spaced at about 5 m apart was used to conduct this experiment. Treatment one was the clumped distribution treatment (CDT). Food trays were placed as sets of four. Treatment two was the scattered distribution treatment (SDT). Food trays were placed evenly covering different areas of the paddock. In these two treatments, steers were allowed to find 32 trays with feed in the presence of a social model. Treatment three is a control (CT). Steers were allowed to find 32 trays containing feed with no social model present. The experiment lasted seven days and starting on day four, CDT had a higher FL/NL (ratio of found locations to new locations) than CT (P

Sorted step patterned ground at Fowlers Gap Field Station occurs within a variety of different Landsystem Units. Areas of sorted step patterned ground from Nuntherungie and Gap Hills Landsystems were selected and the soil properties compared. Soils from areas of sorted step patterned ground are composed of bare saline soils which surround the less saline vegetated soils. Despite occurring within different Landsystems, the suite of soil chemical properties (EC, soluble cations, and pH) between the bare and vegetated area within the patterned ground were statistically the same in most cases. Differences in the suite of soil salts probably arise from variations in gilgai microtopography.

We attempted to determine whether Finlayson troughs (a selective electric repellent device) would repel kangaroos (Macropus rufus and M. robustus) but still allow sheep to drink when access of kangaroos to artificial water sources was restricted on a large scale, and the effect that had on kangaroo populations. In late 1993 high percentages of kangaroos (over 80% of both species) were repelled from water sources fitted with Finlayson troughs when alternative water sources were available. However, when all water sources within a 100,000 ha area had activated Finlayson troughs or were fenced off, kangaroos found methods that enabled them to circumvent the Finlayson troughs within two weeks after activation of the troughs. The numbers which were able to obtain a drink increased greatly over this period. When used on a large scale, Finlayson troughs as used in this study were thus apparently ineffective in restricting the access of kangaroos to water. Aerial surveys and radio-tracking were used to determine the numbers and distribution of kangaroos over the whole area after activation of all the Finlayson troughs. There were no significant differences in kangaroo numbers between the treated area and a nearby control area which was devoid of Finlayson troughs. All 31 of the radio-collared kangaroos which could be located at the end of the trial remained within the areas they formerly occupied and the length of their movements did not increase.

Attempts were made to exterminate rabbits at six separate sites; recolonisation was measured over the following two years. Three sites were treated by repeated warren ripping and three by repeated warren fumigation. At all sites the warren treatments were supplemented by shooting and dogging. Two years after treatment, the density of rabbits was 56% of the original density on fumigated sites and 50% on ripped sites. In the first year after treatment, reopened warrens were found more commonly than newly dug warrens; in the second year there were more new warrens than reopened ones. More of the treated warrens reopened on fumigated sites (40%) than on ripped sites (21%). For individual warrens, the number of entrances at treatment and the distance a warren was from untreated rabbit populations were the main factors influencing the probability of reopening. Population density on the periphery of the sites was the main factor influencing the rate of recolonisation of the sites and group control schemes are recommended to minimise recolonisation after control.

This essay challenges social scientists who focus on values, to make a practical contribution to rangeland matters. The essay is organised around three questions: Why study values? Can values be neutrally studied? and How can social scientists contribute to the possibilities of better rangeland practices? We suggest that the available language resources used and the environmental realities constructed within our research practices are limiting and not conducive to real, practical solutions. And, in conducting this foray, we wish to demonstrate how addressing these limitations with our audiences can potentially contribute to practical progress on rangeland matters.

of the statistics of the rainfall received at 269 locations throughout Queensland over the last 90 - 100 years. It is printed on A4 bond paper from camera-ready copy and has a soft cover. The general layout is good with stations being listed in both alphabetical and latitudinal and longitudinal position. One page is allocated per station. A seven-page