Laneways lead to labour efficiency
Andrew Slade farms in Mount Barker with his wife Nicole and other family members. Their property covers 5000ha and the farm business comprises 6500 breeding ewes for prime lamb production, 700 cattle and 2500ha of crop. The annual rainfall is typically 500 millimetres (mm) but in 2016 they received 650mm for the winter and up to 800mm for the whole year.
Beginning 20 years ago, a 40km laneway network was constructed through the property. This has halved the amount of time checking sheep, feeding sheep and moving equipment around.
The laneways cost $8000/km to construct including fencing, grading, gravel sheeting and culverts for all-weather access. Across the farm, the total cost was $320 000. Over a 50 year life of the laneways, for every dollar invested there is a return of $2.60. The payback period for the investment is seven years.
For more information see the case study on the right side of the page.