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Thursday 19 February 2026
First virtual fencing product approved for use
The Victorian Government has announced that the Halter’s P5 electronic collar system is the first to be approved in Victoria for virtual fencing.
This technology will help farmers to save on the cost of building and maintaining cattle fencing through smart, real-time technology.
Halter’s P5 system features a collar connected to an app, allowing farmers to virtually fence, move and monitor well-being of their cows while receiving real-time insights into animal health and pasture conditions.
Farmers can virtually fence around waterways and sensitive land or vegetation, while still allowing native animals to access them, promoting faster pasture recovery, healthier riparian zones and reduced reliance on fertiliser.
Understanding heat stress in livestock
Dr Jeff Cave, Senior Veterinary Officer
As warm summer temperatures continue across Victoria, farmers are urged to take extra care of their livestock to prevent heat stress, a condition that can severely impact both animal welfare and production.
Cattle are most comfortable in temperatures between 5°C and 25°C, while adult pigs prefer a narrower range of just 18°C to 20°C.
High-producing animals, such as dairy cows, are especially vulnerable, and poultry have been known to succumb to extreme heat on scorching days.
Growing resilient, productive pastures for the future
Multispecies pastures are emerging as a powerful way to build more resilient and sustainable livestock systems. Our latest video explores how we’re generating Victorian specific evidence to help farmers adopt these systems with confidence.
At the Ellinbank SmartFarm, we’re trialling different pasture combinations of grasses, legumes and herbs and assessing them over time. Early results show promising benefits, including improved feed resilience during dry conditions, better soil health and potential reductions in livestock methane emissions.
The video also features a Gippsland farmer who is partnering with us to test the pastures in real world conditions. Their on-farm experience provides practical insights for farmers to consider in their own systems.
Watch Pastures for the future: Ellinbank SmartFarm's multispecies research now on YouTube.
2026 duck season bag limit
The Victorian Government has set a daily bag limit of 9 ducks per hunter for the 2026 duck hunting season.
The season length, as set out in the Victorian Government’s Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024, remains unchanged – opening at 8am on Wednesday, 18 March 2026 and closing 30 minutes after sunset on Monday, 8 June 2026.
The daily hunting times are from 8am until 30 minutes after sunset for the first 5 days, then from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset for the remainder of the season.
Seven game duck species can be hunted. They are Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, Chestnut Teal, Wood Duck, Mountain Duck, Hardhead and Pink-eared Duck.
Communities leading the charge against invasive pests
The Victorian Government has strengthened Victoria’s front-line against invasive pests with grants announced for Community Pest Management Groups across the state.
In total, $347,753 will support the strategic expansion of initiatives, including the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce, the Victorian Rabbit Action Network and the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party.
Farmers from across the state have access to two Farm Advisory Service one-on-one consultations with a technical specialist.
Specialist consultants include agronomists, veterinarians, animal nutritionists, business advisors and farm planners, with expertise across dairy, beef, sheep and wool, horticulture and cropping.
For further drought support visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.
Wellbeing counsellors work hand in hand with experienced financial counsellors to ensure that your mental health receives as much attention as your bottom line.
Providing practical strategies and helping you to tailor them to your specific circumstances, across Gippsland.
Wellbeing counsellors can visit you at your property or talk over the phone to assist with:
✔ managing stress
✔ building resilience for tough times
✔ balancing work and life with practical tools
✔ getting support for big decisions and life changes
To speak to a Wellbeing Counsellor call 1300 045 747.
Find out more at: www.nexsolutions.org.au
For further drought support visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.
Following a bushfire there is a lot to consider when it comes to caring for livestock and getting your farm back on track.
To assist in making decisions for your on-farm recovery, a range of practical technical information and advice is available on our website.
You can also speak to an Agriculture Recovery team member on 136 186 or by contacting recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au
Has your farm been impacted by recent bushfires?
The Victorian Government has announced measures to support Victorian primary producers affected by the January 2026 bushfires.
You may be eligible for a recovery grant or a concessional loan to help with cleanup, restoration and rebuilding.
Applications are now open and will close at 4pm on 21 October 2026.
You can check your eligibility via Rural Finance www.ruralfinance.com.au or call them on 1800 260 425 with any questions.
If you need help working through what support you can get or how to apply, the Rural Financial Counselling Service is available at Home - Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria - Gippsland
Essential Water Replacement
In a bushfire FFMVic and CFA may need to take water from private property using tankers or aircraft to help put out fires.
If essential water is taken from your property, you can make a request for its replacement via the FFMVic website.
Essential Water is water that is needed for:
- health of residents and pets
- health and productivity and stock
- agricultural and horticultural crops, permanent plantings and intensive industries.
Find out more and download the request form from here.
Emergency relief drinking water
Communities in bushfire affected areas and who are not on reticulated (town) water, may be eligible for a tank refill of up to 20,000 litres through the Emergency Relief Drinking Water program.
Your household may be eligible if you are not on reticulated (town) water and rely on tank water for domestic use, and your household tank has been impacted by fires.
Impacts may include that you’ve emptied your tank for fire-fighting purposes, or it may now contain ash or other contaminants.
Further information on the Emergency Relief Drinking Water program can be found on DEECA’s website.
Managing and treating dams in fire affected areas
Farmers in fire affected areas are encouraged to monitor their dams and remove floating debris as soon as possible following heavy or prolonged rain. They should also consider installing sediment traps upstream of their bigger dams.
Following fires, many dams became unusable due to pollution from decomposing organic matter or after being filled with soil, sand, and gravel.
Consider options before re-fencing after fire
Clem Sturmfels, Land Management Extension Officer
Recent bushfires have had devastating consequences for many farming families, destroying infrastructure such as fences, sheds, and water systems. Amongst this devastation, they also offer an opportunity to review and update farm layouts.
Genes to Greens - Newry
When: Wednesday 12 March, 10 am - 1:30 pm
Where: Newry Hall, Newry.
Curious to learn more about genetics, soil and nutrient management, pasture research, or rearing calves? We’d love to share the latest insights with you at the Genes to Greens event in Newry.
Topics covered will include multispecies pastures and ryegrasses, effluent technology, efficient calf rearing and heat tolerant genetics in dairy. A farm-walk is part of the program.
Speakers:
- Anna Thomson, Senior research, Agriculture Victoria
- Marlie Wright, Research scientist, Agriculture Victoria
- Peter Thurn, Stakeholder relations and industry liaison, DataGene
- Sharon Aarons, Senior researcher, Agriculture Victoria
Trees on farms field day - Torwood
When: Tuesday 24 February, 10 am - 12:30 pm
Where: 585 Torwood-Topiram Rd, Torwood
Planting trees on farms offers opportunities for farmers to diversify their income through revegetation, carbon benefits, increased agricultural productivity, and timber supply.
This event will include a site visit to a 14-year-old hardwood plantation within a sheep and wool enterprise and will showcase mid-rotation machine thinning operation.
Speakers
- Bob Gray, sheep and wool farmer, will share his experiences establishing a hardwood agroforestry system in wet, steep country and what he’s learned over 14 years.
- Callam Reynolds from Maffra and Districts Landcare Network will explain how farmers can apply for funding under the Victorian Trees on Farms Program.
Lunch will follow the presentations. Please register to RSVP.
Online Farm Business Resilience Program
When: Wednesday 25 February, 12-2:30 pm
Where: Online
The online Farm Business Resilience Program is supporting farmers to build on their knowledge and skills, strengthening their farm business to better manage the risks associated with a variable climate.
Facilitated by farm business consultants Rural People Co., this free online short course runs over 6 weeks, covering 5 modules:
- Module 1: Identifying and managing risks, strategic planning and setting business goals (25 February)
- Module 2: Financial management, budgeting and profitable decision making (4 March)
- Module 3: Climate risk and natural resource management (11 March)
- Module 4: Managing people on farm, succession planning and farm safety (18 March)
- Module 5: Business planning (1 April)
The program includes a one-on-one session, to be held between Module 4 and 5, to review business plans. Participants are expected to attend all 5 online sessions.
Future-proof your family farm business
When: 25-26 March, 8:30 am - 3 pm
Where: Sale Greyhound Club, Sale Showgrounds, Maffra–Sale Road, Sale
Farmers are invited to participate in a 2-day workshop to help ‘future-proof’ your family farm business with adaptive planning skills.
Develop practical strategies to manage climate risk, build resilience and shape a stronger, more adaptable business.
Presenter Dr Kate Burke is an agri-strategist and educator with extensive experience across technical, commercial and people-focused aspects of farming. Kate provides insights into crucial farm success factors, including:
- managing climate variability and uncertainty
- optimising productivity
- farm financial performance
- people, leadership and succession.
Participants will:
- work out what's most important to them
- understand the productivity, people and profit components of their business
- identify strategies for balancing growth and risk
- prioritise and plan.
Participants are eligible to review their business plans post this workshop in a one-on-one session with Kate.
Keep up to date with GippsDairy's events on their website.
Keep up to date with Gippsland Agricultural Group's events on their website.
Keep up to date with Food & Fibre Gippsland's events on their website.
Contacting Agriculture Victoria
Call 136 186 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (except for mobiles and public telephones).
If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service at 133 677 or visit the National Relay Service.
All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us
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