Machinery & Infrastructure
1 March, 2026
Final hurdle for virtual fencing
VICTORIAN farmers now have the green light to purchase and use Halter’s world-leading virtual fencing and herding system.
The final barrier for farmers across the state to access virtual fencing was recently lifted – and Halter is now the first virtual fencing provider approved for use in the state under new government regulations.
“This is a big win for Victorian farmers who can finally access this game-changing technology,” Halter CEO Craig Piggott said.
The Halter system includes a solar-powered smart collar for each cow, towers for connectivity and an app that lets farmers manage their cattle and pasture remotely from their phone.
Cows are guided by sound, vibration and electric cues.
Farmers can virtually fence, shift and monitor their cattle 24/7, reducing labour and boosting productivity.
Victoria’s agriculture minister, Ros Spence, announced the approval at a conference in Melbourne late last month.
“We’re really grateful to Minister Spence and the state government,” Mr Piggott said.
“This is an exciting change that demonstrates the government’s support of farmers and agriculture.
“We’ve had a waitlist of Victorian farmers keen to use Halter, and we can now begin deploying collars and training cows.
“We’re very proud to be the first company approved under this new legislation.”
Announcing Halter’s licence to operate, Minister Spence said it was another step forward in ensuring producers have access to the latest innovative technology, building a more efficient, sustainable and productive agriculture sector.
“This is a much-anticipated announcement for the cattle and dairy industries and it’s clear this technology provides great on-farm benefits,” she said.
Thousands of beef and dairy farmers in other jurisdictions, including Tasmania, New Zealand, and the United States, already use Halter daily to run more productive, sustainable and profitable farms.
Figures have shown 700,000 cows are already wearing Halter collars, including in Tasmania and Queensland.
It has also been stated that, on an average farm using Halter, up to 40 hours have been saved in labour.
There was also an eight per cent reported increase in pasture production by Halter farmers and a 13 per cent reported boost in pre-tax farm profits.
