Pest control gets smart

REAMS of paper records showing where wild dogs have been killed or sighted that are gathering dust in council offices around the state can now be translated into usable information for the general public and pest-control officers, thanks to an innovation just released by Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ).

The natural resource management group based at Longreach has taken pest control to the next level by working with Fulcrum to design a computer application (app) to make recording and sharing data a quick and useful operation.

The Pest Smart app for mobile phones, tablets and personal computers should help everyone working on pest control, especially wild dogs, see whether their actions are having an effect, according to DCQ's Jade Fraser.

Working in conjunction with a web-mapping platform, the app allows people to complete a record on the spot - the type of animal, how many, whether alive or dead, and location - which then gets uploaded to the map engine and onto the internet.

It also records the type of stock being run on the property, where known - sheep, cattle, goats or a mixture.

The high-tech approach sprang from the idea that there is lots of data on dog movements and sightings, but not much of it is accessible or being used effectively once it's collected.

"At DCQ we wanted to push it out for the public to get involved," Mr Fraser said.

"Being able to see information, at an individual property scale or over a regional scale, will help people understand patterns and trends, both historically and now.

"You'll be able to see whether your actions are having an effect, and whether they are being cost-effective."

The beauty of it is that being on the internet, everybody will be able to see the information, and it is updated in real time.

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Pest control gets smart