Testimonials

Merryl and Tom Macey, Karrabin, hobby farmers

As small holders with a 40-acre “lifestyle” block less than an hour from Brisbane, we were completely unaware of the need to have a PMAV to secure our entitlements so we could continue to keep our property parkland cleared. It wasn’t until Jeff explained that government regulations had rezoned us “rural” that we realised we were under the same obligations as a fully-fledged farming operation. One day we may intend to subdivide here, and it’s essential we have our asset protected to allow us to choose how and when.

Ken and Jane Marsterson, Craigs Pocket, Mt Garnet, signatories of first Delbessie Agreement

Thanks for all your hard work and assistance in preparing the maps and providing us with all the information we needed in the lead-up to our signing the first Delbessie Agreement. Cosmic Desert’s help was crucial in getting us over the line – we definitely could not have done it without you!

John Atherton, Redcliffe, Hughenden, Northern Board Member of Agforce’s Cattle Council and Cattle Council of Australia

When it came to completing a PMAV application, I enlisted the services of Cosmic Desert because I couldn’t legitimise taking the time to learn all the necessary skills for something I would, in all probability, never revisit. It’s something you have to know your way around, and Jeff has the technical abilities, professional training, practical knowledge and proven experience to get the applications over the line. That’s why I got him to do it.

Alister McClymont, Principal AJM Pastoral, Richmond

Many areas on the White and Green maps were not showing “White”. We engaged a consultant to fix it; however, two years later, it still hadn’t progressed. We called in Cosmic Desert who troubleshot things quickly and efficiently. Jeff used high-resolution imagery and prior air photos, backed up with ground-truthing all the areas on his 4-wheeler, and submitted a professional application which went through with no problems at all. We’ve engaged him on other occasions since then and will continue to use his services for help with ongoing property planning, GPS instruction and Thinning and Encroachment permits.

Stirling and Gail O’Sullivan, Jumba Holdings, Charters Towers

Jeff first established why our PMAV application had stalled, and was then able to fast-track its progress. Cosmic Desert provided us with infrastructure planning maps and large laminated office wall maps at very reasonable costs, GPS background maps, free farm mapping software and elementary instruction so we can now confidently re-clear various areas.

Dick and Pat Peagham, Lauderdale, Pentland

Jeff provided us with an excellent range of services in an efficient and confidential manner, and ensured we got the best result possible for our operations. We’re happy to trust him to advise us on those issues we really don’t know much about, because he knows his way around the permitting process and he got us the outcomes we wanted.

Gerard and Linda Penna, Lord & Penna Partnerships, Woolthorpe, Aramac and Bayrick, Tambo

Jeff is our first-choice consultant for vegetation and mapping related issues. We’ve used him on numerous occasions for our PMAVs, when he got us back ALL the areas plus some more I didn’t think we stood a chance with, and for cadastral line delineations, sourcing of quality imagery and air photo mosaics, GPS background maps and remote land cover interrogation. We’ll be using him in the future for delineating high-preservation Wild Rivers areas and ongoing thinning permits.

Colin and Irene White, Reid River Cattle Co.

Cosmic Desert was recommended to me by Townsville-based real estate agents Ray White Rural when we were planning to sell our property and wanting to extend the “white” areas for clearing purposes on our RE Map. Jeff came to our property and stayed on the property for a few days where he investigated and identified all the cleared areas and delineated the various boundaries to the different lots making up our holding. Jeff’s efforts resulted in a considerable increase in the amount of “white” showing on the RE map, and we were able to use the images he acquired for our presentation purposes assisting our marketing of our property.

Peter Hammer, Hammer and Co. Earthmoving, Charters Towers

I've used Cosmic Desert to prepare my own complex PMAV and for ongoing Thinning Permits. I also strongly recommend my clients use Jeff when delineation of areas for clearing is not straight-forward. In one instance, there were 36 different areas of clearing scattered throughout one property. Jeff was able to quickly troubleshoot the situation and formulate a plan of how best to deal with it, and the results he produced were right on the mark. This meant it was quicker for me to cut the area in, and much cheaper for the client in the long run.

Rodger Jefferis, Elrose Enterprises, Cloncurry

I’ve used Cosmic Desert on several occasions and always found Jeff prompt and reliable. For example, not only did he fast-track my PMAV applications, but I once rang him on a Friday night and asked him if he could create a professional-looking Infrastructure Map. He had it in the hands of my agent first thing Monday morning, and the 800x1200 hard copy printed-laminated and mailed to me at Elrose mid-week.

John & Scott Murray, Murray Family Trust, Uanda, Prairie

Jeff did an excellent job in contesting the areas on the Regional Ecosystem map, and got us all the areas we were entitled to. He not only acquired the necessary imagery to fix the remnant/non-remnant mapping, but he was also able to use it for our thinning/encroachment permit applications. We now also have GPS background & professional office wall maps, and are very happy with the results.

Mike and Michelle Price, Alton Downs, Rockhampton

Michelle and I can’t recommend Cosmic Desert highly enough. Because Jeff stayed on-site and did the necessary homework making sense of all the data and suitable maps at night and before he got here, and didn’t waste time travelling back and forth from the nearest town every day, it meant we were able to be away from daylight to dark doing our on-ground field work. So I can vouch for his hard work and thoroughness, especially as he’s been able to secure more than 19 000 ha of Category X for us.

Bobby and Mary Quinlan, Yanna, Charleville

Cosmic Desert is currently working on major vegetation-related map modifications for us. What amazed me most about Jeff when I first engaged his services is that, even though he was a long way from his home base, he knew the species and the soils from this area. He’s also very cost-effective and, as he keeps “rural” hours, he’s always made himself available on the phone to answer any questions I have, any time.

G. & J.S. Ford, Hughenden Station, Hughenden

Early in 2005 we realised that a large portion of our properties at Hughenden and Richmond were not showing “White”. Cosmic Desert came in and mapped every square inch so thoroughly that it was indisputable that the areas were NOT remnant. Over time Jeff contested, and won us back, 17,000 acres on those holdings. Along with the background map he put into our GPS we are now able to move forward with our property vegetation planning with certainty. Thanks, Jeff.

Chris and Jill Dyer, Apsley Cattle Company, Stainburn, Aramac

As a Land Valuer I’d seen Jeff’s previous work and been impressed. Because there were large tracts on Stainburn that had been cleared previously and weren’t showing White on the RE map, and as time was of the essence, I asked Jeff to help me with the PMAV process. He initially marked in all the property infrastructure so we were both speaking the same language when discussing the areas of disparity. After thoroughly ground-truthing it and preparing a professional application, he “got back” all the areas we were expecting. He also was able to help me with basic farm mapping and his professional maps assisted me with my rating valuation dispute.

Spud Thomas and Annette Schefe, Ferguson River, Katherine, NT

I first met Jeff when I was managing Somerville at Richmond for Mott Holdings. We initially employed Jeff to do a PMAV and validate the 200-300 paddocks in our Cell Grazing enterprise. At one point, he had four GPSs going at once! He was able to make sense of it all and produce quality maps that we were able to use in various presentations and for sale purposes.

After moving to the Territory to a new place, we needed a “starting point” to take the property in a new direction. Jeff quickly provided us with quality imagery and mapping so we could identify our options and put together some proposals. He’s since been able to point us in the right direction with appropriate farm mapping software so we can take things to the next step.