Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I have a Property Map of Assessable Vegetation (PMAV)?

You need a PMAV to secure your asset value and not having the hassle of ongoing permits to maintain pasture. PMAVs also may become invaluable once the carbon trading framework is developed, and in some instances for possible Vegetation Offsets.

As a result, lending institutions want to sight PMAVs when assessing asset risk, and real estate agents require them to enhance sale prospects.

PMAV -- it’s the cheapest insurance in town!

Do I need a “Lock In” or a Complex PMAV at a property scale?

Often, both. Experience has shown locking-in only protects those areas that have been mapped by the Department at 1:100,000 … and these maps are often inaccurate at that scale. (To date, lock-in PMAVs I have completed on many of the larger holdings prove to be, at best, 75% correct once I’ve ground-truthed the property for the client.)

It’s often necessary to lock-in those areas that have been mapped by the Department, and fix up any areas of disparity later with a full property-scale PMAV.

I’m only a small holder and run a few horses on a hobby farm we brought as a retirement block. Do I need to get a PMAV?

Yes. In 2003 the Government changed zoning regulations and now, for the purpose of the Vegetation Management Act, zones are categorised only as Urban or Rural. Over time, the RE maps will continue to evolve and possibly revert from white to other colours. This can lead to devaluation of your asset for resale and there can be problems with subdivision proposals which invariably lead to additional expenses.

Therefore, PMAVs are just as important on a small holding as on a fully-fledged grazing enterprise.

The Government can do what they like, and I’ve heard a PMAV can be removed at the stroke of a pen. Is that true?

While it isn’t necessarily the best system to protect your rights, it is currently the ONLY option on the table and all those PMAVs currently issued are standing up to scrutiny.

It must be remembered that the removal of a PMAV would require agreement from both parties because the PMAV is linked to the title, and it also can override both the RE and Regulated Regrowth Maps as a legal document.

Prior to the Moratorium our maps were white. Now there are FOUR maps and it appears I have other colours where the white areas were. Can you advise me the best options to take, as I want to sell my property in the future?

Certainly, and in most instances we can develop an Action Plan to suit your individual situation and allow you to move forward.

I have heard the Thinning Permits these days aren’t worth starting the tractor for!

There is a lot of misinformation out there. Although the assessment criteria have indeed been tightened up, my clients are more than happy with the outcomes I have achieved for them to date… I’d suggest you seek my expert advice before you write-off a permit.

It could be a simple case of only getting what you pay for!

Our scrubs are spreading and our grandparents always said they could see the creek from our verandah. What can we do?

It’s the same here at Cheltenham and through large parts of Queensland. While the Government currently accepts that Thickening and Encroachment are legitimate issues, anecdotal evidence alone unfortunately can’t be quantified or referenced. There is, however, an accepted process that can be followed that involves using a series of remotely-sensed data in conjunction with proven field sites.

My lease is due for renewal. I’m not a member of any producer organisations and I don’t like dealing locally. Nor do I have the time or skills. Can you help?

Yes. It’s important always to be on the front foot -- and I can put you in a situation to make informed choices and decisions so you can secure the longest lease-term possible. Cosmic Desert provided the technical information and prepared the application for the inaugural October 2009 Delbessie Lease Renewal, which successfully secured an additional 40 years’ lease for my clients.

I want to sell my property and the agent needs an infrastructure map in a hurry. Can you help, and what would be the process?

Yes. Simply send me a mud map with paddock names, power lines, fence lines, water point, roads and buildings, and generally I can do the rest at this end, quickly and without too much trouble. I’ve never missed a deadline yet!

For what other reasons would I want a spatially-accurate Infrastructure Map?

They are standard practice for Delbessie Lease renewals, Reef Plans, Council Weed Plans and Valuation purposes.

It’s also often very useful to be able to print any map any time (turning on and off layers) if you or an employee needs to carry one in the glove box. Alternatively, having a colour laminated wall map in the office prompts your future development aspirations. Many plans and lending/funding applications require paddock sizes to accurately calculate stocking rates, and professionally prepared and presented maps may be the difference that gets you over the line.

I envisage these maps eventually will become a pre-requisite component of an employer’s Occupational Health and Safety responsibilities for employees. Having this pre-existing information and associated data in place also would enable the creation of GPS background maps in advanced scenarios.

Why would I want a GPS background map?

It will enable you to take advantage of options that are otherwise unavailable to you. For instance, these maps can range from sophisticated Property Vegetation Plans which include fences, waters etc to just a simple RE Map.

As a result, they take out the uncertainty about the Government maps and their often vague relationship to the realities “on the ground”. In fact, a GPS background map can become your entire development plan in your top pocket (blokes, just imagine: no more nagging your wife to start the computer!) and no doubt, in time, it will become mandatory to address possible OHS issues.

I used a GPS to push in a line and it was the wonkiest line ever. I’m tempted to use a compass and a slide rule next time! Can you help?

Yes. I can you provide one-on-one GPS instruction in the paddock on a bike or in the dozer etc. Whatever it is, we can sort it out. (Now put down the compass and walk away slowly...)

We are Cell Grazers and recently discovered that the sizes of our cells are inaccurate. Can you re-map those cells so we can adjust our grazing charts accordingly?

Yes. On one property alone, I’ve mapped up to 15 cell centres that incorporated a total of 300 paddocks encompassing approximately 40 000 acres. Believe me, it won’t be a problem.

We have taken a lot of time to do several mapping courses, but our hands always seem to be in our pockets paying to update the program AND we no longer have the time. Suggestions please?

I can assist you remotely on the phone, and in especially difficult circumstances I can “take control” of your computer program via the internet if you want me to.

Alternatively, I can visit your property and collect, collate and validate the data, supply you with hard copy maps etc and additionally provide and explain free, simple, user-friendly software (drag & drop) to suit most situations. Everything Cosmic Desert provides you with is compatible with Industry formats. 

We want to purchase a property. Can you confirm firstly if there is a PMAV in place, and secondly how much is showing category X and if these areas are in fact accurate?

Yes. This can be done discreetly and, generally, remotely from this end.

We have compliance-related issues and are not allowed to re-clear various areas. Can you help?

Yes. Possibly there may be several options here, and it can depend on the size of the breach. No “one size fits all” approach is possible, but we can explore several alternatives.

Due to the sensitive nature of this service, complete discretion and confidentiality are, naturally, assured.

We are revamping our stock watering system. The pump shop needs the heights/elevations to calculate head and quote us for the pump, pipes, trough sizes etc. Can you facilitate this process?

Yes. I can supply you or your provider with generically-profiled elevation data or GPS referenced clinometer-based elevation profiles and/or 3-D elevation modelling in both instances.

Can you assist with funding applications?

Yes. From 2005-2006 a colleague and I successfully facilitated and negotiated eight million dollars’ worth of funding for our clients through Enterprise Assistance applications.

Individually I have prepared, for my clients, numerous successful funding assistance applications for such diverse applications as weed control, fencing to land type, riparian fencing, repositioning of waters etc through Landcare, Nature Assist, Federal Government Envirofund and current Regional Bodies.

Can you provide your services remotely?

Yes. Depending on which services you require and the degree of difficulty, I am often able to do all I need from my office and may not even need to visit your property.

I also provide you with back-up service quickly and efficiently.

I carry the latest relevant data the government uses for their desktop assessment and have access to much more, in most instances.

Are you prepared to travel?

Yes. I’m more than happy to travel, depending on the job and amount of work involved. Have a look at my Client Map: Cosmic Desert has clients all throughout Queensland and into the Northern Territory.

Obviously, many of my clients have been remotely serviced; however, just as many have required me to visit their properties to get them the best outcomes.

How are your fees structured?

Costs vary, depending on the service required and elements such as:

• the number of leases
• level of clients’ cooperation/contribution in gathering information
• technological skills and resources clients already possess
• type of and amount of imagery required
• extent of effort required in acquisition of other digital data
• on-the-ground work involved

In the case of PMAVs, Cosmic Desert undertakes to produce a comprehensive proposed Property Map of Assessable Vegetation (PMAV) including Property Management Plan (PMP) in both hard copy and digital formats.

I guarantee that these formats encompass the “big picture” aspects that will satisfy increasing government expectations and ongoing public accountability issues in relation to general property management planning well into the future.

How did you get into this field?

I needed help 10 years ago but couldn't find anyone offering anything like these services, so I had to learn how to do it all myself. I talked incessantly to primary producers, land clearing contractors, valuers, surveyors, spatial experts, rural financial advisors, legal specialists and everyone I'd ever dealt with in government departments until I finally got my head around it all. Eventually I understood the difference between what we want, what authorities tell us we need, and what's actually "doable" -- and what isn't.

It's been a steep learning curve and a long and winding road, and I'm still learning new things every day, and adjusting my skills and adapting my approaches as the goalposts change.

Cosmic Desert gives me the opportunity to do something I truly love, while helping others. My business unites my life-long passions of land management, all things botanical and cartographical, all native and domestic animals and birds, and polar bears.

(Well, to be perfectly accurate, I'm still trying to find that "special place" for polar bears in my job. Suggestions are welcome.)

What makes you different from others?

Having my own cattle property, my own cleared country (and my own debt!) mean I understand the real issues associated with operating in a rural environment.

Many consultants rarely travel, but I’m happy to visit your property and get out into the field and delineate the relevant areas using an All Terrain Vehicle, in conjunction with high resolution imagery.

I always stay “on farm” to reduce costs to clients, and I work “farm hours”.

I will always respond to your requests and return your calls promptly.

I provide you with the services you ask for (as little or as much as you require) and I give you back data and information in a user-friendly format you can implement in other projects, for your own purposes. Of course, I’m always willing to assist.

I surround myself with like-minded colleagues who are “old school” but with new ideas, up-to-date knowledge of legislation and regulations and cutting-edge technical abilities. As a result, Cosmic Desert offers very personalised services … your “One Stop Shop” if you like!

We have a diverse range of skills. Because of this, our overheads are low and our results show we offer the best possible service at very competitive prices. (Remember: dearer isn’t always better.)

Clients continually tell me that I represent great value for money and that my skills and services are unmatched.

As one happy client put it recently, “You’re worth every bloody cent!”