When Trent Fordham left school he wanted to enter the Police Force, but, somehow, ended up with a job that allows him to ride around on a motorbike all day and, unlike in the Police Force, not have to deal with the tough side of law enforcement all that much.
Trent is a ranger on the Rural Lands Protection Board in Wagga Wagga. His job has no typical workday, but his focus is helping out farmers get rid of pest animals which damage land and livestock. He creates control programs which focus on foxes, pigs, rabbits and goats. The first thing he does in the morning? “Injecting chicken wings with poison – but we also have pre-prepared baits, too.”
His main job is to liase with farmers and landholders to coordinate farmers in efforts to get rid of pests. He will issue baits to farmers, and, on quieter days, do inspections of land to see if there are signs of pests, such as rabbit warrens – which is where spending a few hours on his motorbike or ute comes into it!
He’s been a ranger for seven years and really enjoys it. “The politics and the paperwork get you down, but yeah, I still enjoy it!” he laughs.
To get into the industry, Trent took the long way around. He considered being a police officer, going to university and for a while did part-time work as a jackaroo. He’s more or less always lived in the country, and he’s always wanted to work with agriculture, although, he wasn’t sure where. He did a Diploma in Agriculture at the Primary Industries Centre at TAFE, and hasn’t looked back since. Trent says that what he learnt in his course forms the foundation of his work. For a while he was a Weed Inspector for the local council for 3 years, he’s been a ranger now, for seven. “I was the job advertised a few times over a couple of years, and the second time, I thought I’d give it a go.”
As for working in the industry, it’s important to just try, says Trent. “People have to just give it a go. I know some people who have tried it and loved it. I know some people who have tried it and hated it.”
He says just giving it a go will let you know if you’re suited to the role or not, “Some people have trouble doing the regulatory stuff of enforcing rules and regulations, and you need to be a bit tough. But I don’t need to do much of that. I’m too soft!” he laughs.
The best part of the job?
The outdoors, working with the agriculture industry but mostly helping farmers and landholders
The hardest part of the job?
The challenges are mostly making sure landholders carry out their legal obligation to get rid of pests.
What personal qualities are needed for the job?
Knowledge of agriculture, personal skills be able to talk to people, be able to communicate with people, enjoy the outdoors and travelling.
Any advice?
Have the relevant agricultural studies, because they really are an important base. They could be anything, depending on your industry. Be willing to have a go, just try it.
