Exclusion Fencing Explained — Kangaroos, Dogs, and Feral Animals
Exclusion fencing is the nuclear option of rural fencing. It's taller, tighter, and more expensive than standard stock fencing, but when you're losing lambs to wild dogs, watching kangaroos eat your pasture down to dirt, or finding feral pig damage in your paddocks, it's the solution that actually works.
WHAT MAKES EXCLUSION FENCING DIFFERENT?
Standard stock fencing is designed to keep your animals in. Exclusion fencing is designed to keep everything else out. The key differences:
Height: Standard mesh is 800-900mm. Exclusion mesh starts at 1150mm (8/115/15) and goes up to 1420mm (11/142/15). Combined with barbed wire on top, total fence height can exceed 1600mm.
Vertical spacing: 15cm maximum. Standard 30cm spacing lets foxes, dogs, and young kangaroos through. The 15cm spacing is tight enough to stop them.
Ground treatment: Exclusion fencing needs an apron — mesh or netting laid flat on the ground extending outward from the fence base — to prevent animals from digging under.
Tensioning: Higher mesh under more tension requires stronger strainer assemblies, closer spacing, and heavier pickets.
THE MESH OPTIONS
8/115/15 — Mid-height exclusion ($250/100m roll)
Eight horizontal wires, 1150mm high, 15cm vertical spacing. This stops foxes, most wild dogs, and feral pigs. It's the entry-level exclusion mesh and is adequate where kangaroos aren't the primary concern (they can clear 1150mm if motivated).
11/142/15 — Full-height exclusion ($330/100m roll)
Eleven horizontal wires, 1420mm high, 15cm vertical spacing. This is the gold standard. The extra height deters kangaroos (most won't attempt a jump over 1400mm, especially with barbed wire on top), and the 11 wires provide a dense barrier from ground to top.
WHAT EACH STOPS
Wild dogs: Either mesh height works, but the fence must go to ground level with no gaps and ideally include an apron. Wild dogs will dig before they jump. A 300-500mm buried or surface apron on the outside is essential.
Kangaroos: You need 11/142/15 or equivalent height. Roos will jump anything under about 1300mm without hesitation. Even at 1420mm, they can clear it if panicked, so two strands of barbed wire on top push the effective height to 1600mm+. Some producers add a top rail or sight wire to make the fence more visible — roos sometimes don't see mesh until it's too late and crash through it.
Foxes: The 15cm vertical spacing stops foxes from squeezing through, but they're champion diggers. Apron mesh is critical.
Feral pigs: Pigs push under fences. A heavy bottom wire, tight ground contact, and an apron are more important than height for pig control. The 8/115/15 is usually sufficient for pigs.
Wombats: Honestly, wombats are the hardest to exclude. They'll dig under almost anything. Some producers install a buried mesh skirt extending 400mm underground, but this is expensive and difficult on rocky ground. In wombat country, regular fence line patrol and repair is part of life.
INSTALLATION SPECIFICS
Pickets: Use 210cm ($13 each) or 240cm ($11-$12.50) star pickets. Standard 165-180cm pickets are too short for exclusion mesh. Our 2.1kg/m heavy pickets are especially important here — lightweight pickets can't handle the lateral load of tall mesh in wind.
Spacing: 4m maximum between pickets. The taller the mesh, the more wind load it catches, and wider spacing leads to billowing and eventual mesh fatigue.
Strainer assemblies: Beef these up. Strainer posts should be a minimum 200mm diameter, set 800mm deep in concrete. Use steel strainer posts if timber isn't available locally. Strainer spacing should be 150-200m maximum — the tension loads are significantly higher than standard fencing.
Apron: Lay mesh or galvanised netting flat on the ground extending 300-500mm outward from the fence base on the outside (the side the predators are on). Pin it down with wire pegs or bury it under 50mm of soil. When an animal starts digging at the fence base, they hit the apron and can't get under.
Top wire: Two strands of barbed wire on top of the mesh, with the upper strand mounted on 150mm offset brackets leaning outward. This creates an overhang effect that deters climbing and jumping.
COSTS
Full exclusion fencing (11/142/15 with apron, tall pickets, heavy strainers, and barbed wire) runs approximately $9-$12/m for materials depending on specifics. Labour adds $12-$18/m for contractor installation.
For a typical 100-acre property with a 2,600m perimeter, that's roughly $25,000-$31,000 for materials alone. It's a significant investment, but if you're losing 10% of your lamb crop annually to wild dogs, the fence pays for itself within a few years.
FUNDING ASSISTANCE
Local Land Services runs wild dog exclusion fencing programs that can cover 50-80% of costs for eligible properties. Cluster fencing programs (multiple neighbouring properties) are particularly well-funded. Contact LLS Orange for current program details.
We supply exclusion fencing materials to grant-funded projects regularly and provide quotes that meet program specifications. Call us on 0434 093 077 or visit 76 Astill Drive, Orange.