The NSW Government is backing the future of digital agriculture, with a virtual fencing trial in southern NSW showing how the technology could help farmers manage livestock more efficiently while supporting animal welfare.
The Charles Sturt University Virtual Fencing Demonstration Trial, being delivered at the Global Digital Farm in Wagga Wagga, is demonstrating the potential for virtual fencing to give farmers greater flexibility over grazing, reduce labour and input costs, and better manage livestock.
NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty recently visited Charles Sturt University to inspect the work being undertaken by the research team, including receiving a briefing from Jon Medway, Charles Sturt’s Head of Sustainable and Digital Agriculture, and observing the project’s 50-head Black Angus herd.
In December 2025, the NSW Government amended animal welfare regulations to legalise virtual stock fencing for cattle in NSW, giving farmers access to new technology and data to help manage their herds.
The changes allow virtual fencing devices to be used subject to animal welfare and public safety safeguards. Users must receive appropriate training, devices must be monitored, and virtual fencing is intended for internal livestock management rather than replacing physical perimeter fencing.
The trial is an important next step in building practical knowledge and giving farmers information to assess how virtual fencing could be adopted across the livestock sector.
The project brings together Charles Sturt University, the University of Adelaide, Meat & Livestock Australia and Gallagher eShepherd.
The system uses GPS-defined boundaries and electronic neckbands to guide cattle movements, reducing the need for traditional internal fencing while allowing producers to quickly adjust grazing areas from a computer or mobile device.
Early findings show cattle are rapidly learning to respond to the system’s audio cues.
Researchers reported that around 60 per cent of interactions were initially resolved by the audio warning alone. As the cattle adapted to the system, that figure increased to approximately 97 per cent audio-only interactions.
Charles Sturt University said the early results indicate cattle are learning to respond to the warning cue without requiring an electrical stimulus in most interactions, providing encouraging early evidence for animal welfare outcomes.
The trial is also examining grazing management strategies, fence design and best-practice implementation to support broader industry adoption.
The trial will run until 2028, with a final report expected to follow soon after.
Along with potential productivity gains, virtual fencing may improve environmental management by allowing producers to establish temporary exclusion zones around:
- waterways;
- riparian areas;
- erosion sites; and
- rehabilitation projects.
A second phase of the project is planned on a commercial beef enterprise near Jingellic, where the technology will be evaluated under larger-scale farming conditions, including varied terrain, breeding cattle and riparian management.
The NSW Government said the project forms part of its efforts to support practical agricultural innovation, improve sustainability and strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the state’s farming sector.
Minister for Agriculture, Regional and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said:
“Virtual fencing has the potential to be a game-changer for livestock producers across NSW.
“We’re backing this innovation because it can help farmers improve productivity while maintaining high standards of animal welfare.
“It gives farmers more flexibility to manage grazing, reduce the cost of traditional fencing and respond quickly when seasonal conditions change.
“Most importantly, this research will help give farmers the practical information they need to understand how virtual fencing can work on their own properties.”
Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor Professor Renée Leon said:
“This trial positions NSW as a leader in practical digital agriculture innovation.
“Virtual fencing technology has the potential to drastically improve farm productivity, strengthen environmental stewardship and reduce labour pressures.
“The project also provides a platform for broader digital agriculture innovation in Australia, including automated livestock monitoring, health alerts, behavioural analysis and AI-assisted management systems.”
Director of the Global Digital Farm Mark Bourne said:
“Monitoring cattle responses helps us refine how virtual fencing can be applied safely and practically.
“This project explores virtual fencing’s potential to improve pasture utilisation, grazing efficiency and livestock growth rates.
“It will also create a base layer of farm data we can build on, connecting further sensors and systems to give producers a whole-of-farm picture over time.”
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