Tips for Success

Tips that help to deliver results

The SSAA Farmer Assist program is a tool designed to cover many situations. If you have a single pest issue that can be solved with one visit, or an ongoing problem that you need regular control activities conducted across the year, SSAA Farmer Assist is designed to suit both circumstances. You should keep in mind the following tips when you post a job and discuss your requirements with members who respond to your listing. Tip 1: Consider travel times Depending on the location of your property, please keep in mind the distance that SSAA members may need to travel. The majority of SSAA members registered for the program will live in metropolitan areas and there may be considerable travelling required to get to your property. If your property is located a vast distance from metropolitan areas or major regional centres, you should view any pest control activities as a potential week-long commitment by members. This takes into account travel time both ways and allows sufficient time to do the required task. Tip 2: Select a team If the above applies, it would make sense that you recruit a number of individual members or teams. This way, you can coordinate pest control activities across the calendar, so one individual or team can attend for a week and then the others can individually attend at different times, regularly across the year. It will be easier for you to organise different individual members or teams to come once or twice a year across the year, rather than getting a commitment from someone to attend individually every month to cover your needs. You have no restriction or limits on the number of members you can utilise to get the job done. Tip 3: Extra set of eyes Legitimate hunters reduce trespassers. Invite shooters regularly onto your property, especially weekends, because this can reduce the opportunity for trespassers to enter your property unnoticed. The sight of a spotlight in the distance or activity in the area will act as a deterrent to those people who may enter your property without permission. SSAA Farmer Assist provides an extra set of eyes to keep watch on your property to protect it from trespassers. Tip 4: Get permits approved If you need help to manage any species that legally require a damage mitigation permit (DMP) or pest mitigation permit (PMP), you should submit the relevant paperwork and get approval from the appropriate state authority before undertaking the first activity. Under the SSAA Farmer Assist Code of Practice, members will only be able to assist you with damage and pest mitigation activities if you hold the proper permits and have written approval from the appropriate authority in place. You should also provide the assisting SSAA member with a copy of the permit so they can demonstrate compliance with state regulations, should they be questioned by a third party. Tip 5: Detail reduces questions Make your initial job listing as detailed as possible in regards to accommodation available at or near your property, the type of animals needing control, and your own conditions/requirements. Extra information like this will make it easier for people to consider your job based on their own individual circumstances. It will also ensure any contact you have with members is with people who are well-informed, aware of what the situation is and aware of what you need. Spending 5 more minutes adding a detailed description may save you many more having to answer questions. Tip 6: Use an online calendar to book in activities When considering how best to utilise and coordinate selected SSAA members on your property, we recommend using shared calendar software such as the free online application Team Up. Effective pest management relies on the frequency and intensity of the control activity. A versatile calendar application can help you achieve this by allowing you to schedule and organise group activities with one or more parties. This allows all parties to plan the timing of their activities based on their availability and other activities occurring on your property. Where there are available openings in the calendar, you can decide to reuse the SSAA Farmer Assist Jobs Board to obtain more resources to fill in these gaps.