For graziers in western Queensland, the day often starts with an obligatory water run meaning a drive out to check the water assets on their land.
It’s time-consuming and of course costly, as many properties span over 20,000 hectares, all with lots of assets to inspect. But when every drop of water is valuable, it’s essential.
They say necessity is the mother of invention and it’s here that Longreach-based Agtech start-up OPS Australia excels. By combining a strong DIY ethos and knowledge of life in the outback, they’ve developed a solution to enable graziers to monitor their water assets on a mobile device in real time saving farmers time and money.
OPS Australia CEO Andrew Barton says the business was created to meet the specific requirements of graziers in Western Queensland as other products in the market were not meeting their needs.
“The outback can be a difficult place to cater for,” Mr Barton said.
“It’s not an easy environment - what might work best out east may not work here.
“We have to find solutions to meet our needs."
The company works closely with local graziers to develop and produce practical, low-cost sensor technologies that monitor water, fences, and gates.
They created a virtual wild dog fence detection system after local graziers asked for a solution to prevent attacks on sheep. The experience led the company to develop additional Agtech solutions such as water asset monitoring.
“Given the vast Australian rural environment, it is critical to develop and adopt the right data communication technologies – so that’s what we do,” Mr Barton said.
“Tanks, turkey nest dams, water pipes, bores and solar pumps are critical water assets for an outback property producing cattle, sheep, or goats.
“It is important that stock have water in the vicinity where they are feeding.
“Any unnecessary effort by stock to find water can have a detrimental impact on an animal’s weight and condition.”
OPS developed smart algorithms to detect issues and changes within a remote water asset when they first emerge. Their solution automatically switches a solar pump on when the water level in a tank falls, ensuring a continuation of water supply for stock.
The company explored a range of potential connectivity methods – as satellite access is expensive and rural Australia has gaps in its mobile phone coverage OPS Australia connects their solutions to the internet using the way that works best in a particular area.
They also developed their own electronic circuit boards, including the required firmware, software, and database, enabling them to fully “own” the solution as it continues to grow and align with customer needs.
In 2021, the company received $100,000 in Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas funding to market its Smart Remote Water Monitoring and Control Solution.
This boost enabled them to devise and implement a marketing plan tailored to their target market. Advance Queensland also connected OPS Australia with business development mentors and the rich innovation ecosystem of emerging companies in Queensland.
To market themselves, the company initially looked at engaging an advertising company but found the cost too high and many options were not suited to the rural market. They returned to the DIY attitude that had served them well when developing their sensor tech and decided to make their own radio and TV advertisements and manage their own social media.
To place their TV ads they set up as an advertising agency to promote OPS Australia across the Seven network in remote and central Australia, including Queensland, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
The company maintains a strong focus on training and skilling local people, including young people interested in Agtech.
“We have an impressive group of high school students who work casually within OPS,” Mr Barton said.
“It is terrific to see young people in the bush get to explore these opportunities without needing to leave the bush.
“We are proudly a Western Queensland company. We have a growing customer base. We are immersed in our target rural market. We are working to fill a large gap in the Australian Agtech market. We are committed to ongoing product development. We recruit and train local people.
“And we are doing all of this while actually being based in the bush.”
Do you have an innovative idea with potential? Learn more about the Advance Queensland Ignite Program and how to apply.
