Under the Taggle system, a producer can draw in a boundary on the computer map corresponding to a paddock boundary, or any boundary that stock must stay within.

If stock move outside the virtual (and physical) boundary, the producer receives an alert on their phone telling them when and where the boundary was crossed, and which direction the stock are moving.

In five months of testing on his Tweed Heads farm, Mr Foyster said even this basic functionality has given him peace of mind.

“When it’s been pouring down, I can check that cattle are on the right side of the creek without leaving the house, or know that they haven’t gone through a washed-out flood gate,” he said.

The Taggle tags themselves are relatively cheap, although exact costs will only be determined when tag development finishes.

Mr Foyster believes that once producers have invested in the base station infrastructure, they will find it cost-effective to put Taggle tags not only on stock but on vehicles, motorbikes, toolboxes and even power tools.

Linked into NLIS animal identification, Taggle offers the possibility for remote monitoring of individual animals to assess grazing habits, feed consumption, matings and motherings.

Nor are Taggle’s ambitions confined to livestock: the devices can be used to monitor gate openings, flow meters, moisture or nutrient probes, and anything else that can be measured, Mr Foyster said.

The system is being installed in selected situations over the next nine months, to iron out any bugs: it is then expected to be available off-the-shelf for self-installation.