Rangelands Monitoring Tool
The Rangelands Monitoring Tool (RMT) is a practical, repeatable system designed to help pastoralists assess and track landscape condition with confidence. Developed from years of local fieldwork, producer insight and applied research across the Gascoyne and Pilbara, the tool provides clear, objective information that supports day-to-day management and long-term planning.
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RMT brings together ground observation, species assessment and soil condition indicators into a simple framework that can be used at the paddock, property or regional scale. It gives land managers a reliable way to understand how their country is responding to grazing pressure, climate and management changes, helping them make decisions that strengthen productivity and landscape resilience. Whether used to guide grazing strategies, demonstrate stewardship or build a better picture of seasonal change, the RMT offers a practical approach for managing rangelands over time.
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An evolution from concept to web based application
2007
Gascoyne Catchments Group now GPRI developed the Rangelands Monitoring Tool as an industry driven, industry endorsed self assessment and reporting system for pastoralists. The tool builds on the longstanding legacy of the Pasture Monitoring Sites initiative, first established by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA in the early 1980s, and is designed to maintain, enhance and expand the valuable data collected through these sites.
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In 2007, GCG recognised the need for a practical, producer focused rangeland reporting tool that used familiar methods while capturing a broader picture of landscape function. The aim was to build on the historical dataset of the Pasture Monitoring System PMS, while incorporating additional indicators of rangeland health, including soil condition and erosion. This laid the foundation for the development of the Rangelands Monitoring Tool©, a system created with industry, for industry, to support informed and confident land management across the region.
2008 - 2009
The Value Based Approach, originally developed by Sean D’Arcy, underpins the Rangelands Monitoring Tool©. Each perennial species is assigned a value based on its livestock utilisation value, indicator value and landsystem function value. Through workshops with experts, more than 50 species were scored between 0 and 10. Key soil attributes from Landscape Function Analysis were also incorporated, with each component given a value, and erosion assigned a value of minus ten to reflect its significant negative impact. These elements were then combined in an Excel based formula to create a Site Stability Index, providing a clear, objective measure of rangeland health that can be applied at the site, landsystem, property or catchment scale.
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The Rangelands Monitoring Tool© uses this approach to offer a practical, self assessment process that supports confident rangeland management. It tracks trends in perennial shrubs and grasses, monitors vegetation health, assesses soil stability and function and records the type and severity of erosion. The tool provides insights that strengthen day to day management decisions and supports transparent communication with regulators, industry and the broader community. Most importantly, it gives pastoral managers a consistent, evidence based way to understand change over time and adjust management in response to emerging landscape signals.
2013 - 2024
From 2015 onward, Gascoyne Catchments Group invested in developing a digital version of the Rangelands Monitoring Tool to make the system more accessible for pastoralists working across remote parts of the Gascoyne and Pilbara. Initial funding supported the creation of an app and web-based platform, with early development focused on ensuring the tool could be used reliably in the field and across different devices.
In 2017, collaboration with the Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association allowed the tool to be expanded to include key Pilbara shrub and grass species and enabled offline functionality, greatly improving its practical use on pastoral leases. This work led to the release of the first iOS app in 2019, allowing users to collect data directly on their devices.
Ongoing investment from KPCA and Province Resources helped strengthen the platform between 2015 and 2024, supporting the creation of a modern web-based version that works across Apple and Android systems. In 2023–2024, with further support from Province Resources, the app transitioned to a new platform offering improved usability, easier access to historical data and full cross-device compatibility. Work is now underway to integrate new reporting features directly within the app to continue improving the user experience.
Now
The Rangelands Monitoring Tool app enters full rollout across the Gascoyne and into the Pilbara, supported by continued training and on-ground adoption with pastoral businesses. Ongoing development throughout 2025 focused on strengthening the app’s backend and security, improving performance in low-connectivity environments and making the system more robust for long-term use. New features are introduced, including integrated rainfall recording, access to the full plant database outside of a monitoring site and enhancements to station-level reporting that now include GPS details, all images captured and user comments. These upgrades continue to improve usability and ensure the tool remains a practical, producer-focused asset for informed rangeland management.
Future
GPRI will continue to expand adoption of the Rangelands Monitoring Tool through increased engagement, hands-on support and targeted training across the region. Two dedicated workshops are already planned for the first half of 2026, providing practical opportunities for pastoralists to build confidence using the app and apply it across their stations. Ongoing feedback from land managers remains central to the tool’s development, and ideas for improvement are always welcome to help strengthen its functionality, usability and value for day-to-day decision making.
Our journey of learning, working and leading together
