Fencing to protect young plants from grazing stock will ensure you can successfully achieve your restoration or vegetation aim. Everyone has a personal preference on the style of fence to build. Whatever fence style is decided upon needs to meet a few key criteria:

• The fence installed needs to able to protect the area for at least 10-15years from constant grazing. This is the time it takes for plants to establish and be mature enough to tolerate accidental or occasional grazing. Ideally avoid grazing as much as possible. Studies consistently show greater biodiversity when sites are not grazed. This is due to keeping the ground layer and leaf litter undisturbed – this layer is the foundation for food resources for all wildlife. If a a site is grazed measure time in hours not weeks.

• Aim for wildlife friendly fencing i.e. no barb. This is particularly important if the site you are working on is aimed at supporting animals like Squirrel Gliders. If there is the option to electrify a fence consider this ahead of barb.

• Add a gate to your fenced patch. This makes removing any animals that do get into the fenced area much easier and also allows access if you need to do any more follow up work within the site.

• Plan your fencing well ahead of when you hope to plant. This may help with buying materials in bulk or if you use contractors it helps them with their planning and ensures that planting can be done and fenced out from stock.

• The wider your revegetation site the better. Studies show wider plantations and even better with a variety angles and connections, the greater the biodiversity outcomes. This is also true for other benefits such as shelter as it increases the opportunities for stock to find the ideal spot for shelter and shade. Studies also show that plantations with greater width and shape variation result in less issues with birds that have bully-like tendencies such as Noisy Minors and Butcher Birds.