FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where is FMS based?

Currently, we have offices based in Smithton Tasmania and Melbourne Victoria.

What is the expected turnaround time on my map?

One of our mapping team will aim to meet you at your property within 10 working days if you are available. We then aim to send you a digital version of your map for approval 10 working days after that, and with your whiteboard being delivered 10 days after approval. We aim to have the whole process completed within 30 working days, depending on your availability.

How much will I need to pay upfront?

Nothing. You will not be invoiced until the mapping work has been completed on site and then given 30 days to pay that amount. 

How much of my time is required?

Your time commitment is usually no more than 3-4 hours of undistracted attention from your most knowledgeable farmer in a single session. This will vary depending on the size and complexity of the property.

What are the whiteboard details?

The whiteboard is 1.2m high and between 0.9 – 1.8m wide. It is made of high-quality long-lasting magnetic Colorbond and has a custom print of your farm. It is designed to be attached to a wall anywhere you want. Additionally, we offer a range of other farm management charts and tables that can accompany the map on the whiteboard.  The optimum size will depend on the proportions of your property and the presence of any additional charts and tables.

When do extra charges apply to package deals?

Additional costs may be incurred in the following circumstances:

  • If the aerial image required is greater than 15km2 (For both main and simple packages).
  • If the property is further than the allocated kms from one of the central mapping locations in Victoria or Tasmania (200 kms for Simple Package and 250 kms for Main Package).
  • If the time required to map the property exceeds what has been allotted to the package (8 hours for Simple Package and 10 hours for Main Package).
  • If there are additional blocks separate to the main property or the main property has a boundary greater than the allotted hectare cap (400 Ha for Simple Package and 2000 Ha for Main Package).
  • If any add-ons (such as gate signs, extra PDFs, magnets, and notepads) have been requested.
  • Click here for more detail about extra charges and ‘add on’ prices.

These additional charges will be communicated in advance where possible.

Click here for details about extra charges and add-ons.

Is there a ‘stand up’ fee?

Yes. A ‘stand up’ fee of $400 applies for inability to meet with our mapper on the day.

Why might a larger farm cost more?

A larger farm may take longer to capture its information, and the aerial photos we use are licensed based on the size and resolution of the image.

When would my map take a longer time to map?

A map may take longer to create when:

  • A client wishes to have a higher than average level of detail mapped.
  • A client wishes to include on their map a number of non-standard features.
  • A client requesting changes to their map, post-visit.
  • A client is unavailable or significantly interrupted during the mapping process, leaving the mapper unproductive for long periods.

What additional services are available?

Farm Mapping Services have developed several other Easy Read map templates that may interest farmers, such as hazard and OH&S maps, electric fences and photomaps. It is much cheaper to add those in while doing a current mapping job.

Farm Mapping Services can help with farm design, such as where fences could be placed for equal-sized paddocks, or Pivot or other irrigation equipment placement for optimum coverage. This design work is not included in the mapping package, but can be completed before a whiteboard is produced and delivered.

Farm Mapping Services also has GPS equipment for mapping infrastructure that is not visible on an aerial photo or for positioning infrastructures like the centre of a Pivot irrigator or gates and fences.

Farm Mapping Services also has printed outputs and signs, such as paddock signs, laminated larger maps, magnets, and Hazard and OH&S signage that can be printed and delivered.

There is also a companion software platform in development that is due to be released in 2023.

All these are completely optional and will be clearly explained and quoted before any work is completed and invoiced.

Can I order a 2nd whiteboard or extra maps with the Main Package?

The Simple and Main packages do not include additional large blocks, farms, or enterprises.

There is a standard ‘Extra block’ fee of $400, which includes an additional 4 hours of mapping time, another aerial image of up to 4km2 and 1 PDF map of the extra block.  We understand an ‘extra block’ to be a piece of land that is disconnected from the main property and requires less than half the time of the main farm to map.  For very small extra blocks we may reduce the price at our discretion.

It would be cheaper for you and more efficient for us to complete extra mapping while we are on site. Please advise us before we arrive to ensure we schedule enough time.

Refunds or Revisions

All work will be sent to the farmer for approval before printing whiteboards and any other selected outputs. Once approval is given and whiteboards are printed, this printing cannot be changed, reprinted at our cost, or refunded if changes are requested.

Our packages allow for around 2 mapping hours of changes before delivery, and any future updates will be done at the standard rates of Farm Mapping Services.

Quality of the whiteboards is warranted in the unlikely event of any quality issues.

Payment details

An invoice will be emailed to you following our on-site visit. A bank transfer is preferred, details of which will be given in the invoice.