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#Farm Machinery & Equipment

Removing scrap metal increases farm safety

Be it old fencing wire, the shed that blew down ten years ago or grandpa's first blade plough, every farm has its share of scrap metal that needs removing and recycling.

Tidying up isn't just cathartic, removing old sheet metal before the next windstorm is just good sense.

Wamuran based QLD ScrapMetal Recycling owner Shane Miethke said due to the drought he had seen significantly more interest from farmers wanting to clean their farms up of scrap metal.

"Some aren't as busy at the moment, so its been a good opportunity for them to tidy up," he said.

"The service we provide is cleaning up the farm and taking away the scrap metal, often farmers don't have the time or equipment to clean it up themselves."

Mr Miethke said hazard reduction and farm safety was a significant motivator when it came to cleaning up on farm.

"Often things need to be removed for safety reasons, for instance storms," he said.

"The dry times have exposed a lot of scrap metal, in a good season it is hidden because of grass."

Mr Miethke said while old roofing, fencing and wire were most commonly thought of as scrap metal, advancements in farm technology resulted in turnover of defunct machines to recycling as well.

"We see cotton module builders, old headers, trucks, trailers and ploughs - much of the machinery used for farming," he said.

"Old silos and feed bins are also common."

Mr Miethke said working with farmers and giving them a helping hand was particularly satisfying.

"While there is a lot of labour in cleaning up the small stuff, we clean everything, its a full service," he said.

"People are happy to get these jobs done, often they have been meaning to do it for years, sometimes scrap metal has sat there for generations because they haven't had the means to get rid of it.

"It is quite rewarding, it may seem like it is only scrap metal, but there is a lot of satisfaction in doing a good job, raking and sweeping up, leaving the farm tidy and well presented."

Details

  • Wamuran QLD 4512, Australia
  • Shane Miethke