PGA calls for modernisation of virtual fencing regulations to boost competition and innovation

The PGA is calling on the State Government to amend the Animal Welfare (General) Regulations 2003 to open up the virtual fencing market for WA livestock producers. While WA was an early mover in legalising virtual fencing in 2022, current regulations name only one approved system; Gallagher’s eShepherd, inadvertently locking out competing technologies and limiting producer choice.

In a letter to Minister for Agriculture Jackie Jarvis, PGA President Digby Stretch has urged a shift to a standards-based approval framework, consistent with approaches already adopted in Victoria and New South Wales. Rather than specifying a single brand, such a framework sets clear performance and animal welfare requirements including pulse limits, mandatory audio warnings, and user training.

The proposed amendments would remove the exclusive reference to Gallagher/eShepherd from the regulations, introduce evidence-based device specifications, and establish a clear approval pathway through DPIRD for compliant systems. The PGA argues this would give WA farmers access to technologies offering additional features such as animal health monitoring, heat detection, and pasture optimisation, without compromising welfare standards.