After identifying a gap in their TAFCO weather network and installing their latest automatic weather station in Bright in mid-2025, TAFCO Rural Supplies has now officially launched the station, to help make real-time weather data from the region more accessible for the community.

Data collected from automated, web enabled weather stations aims to provide the community with a potent management tool, offering information such as temperature, solar radiation, wind speed and humidity.

These factors can be used to calculate evapotranspiration, which in turn is used by irrigators to schedule the timing and duration of applications and land care, with substantial potential water savings seen as a result.

Similar data can be processed to calculate Delta T for optimal chemical application, dew point for frost warnings and fed into any number of complex models to predict the likelihood of various disease outbreaks and extreme weather events.

TAFCO secretary, Kerry Murphy, said such a service has considerable potential to increase productivity, quality and efficiencies in natural resource management across virtually every industry in the region.

"Residents with access to real data and three-day forecasting are able to make decisions across a range of daily activities from putting the washing out to dry, to determining when to cycle or exercise outdoors and monitor climate change locally," she said.

"You don’t need an app but can add to the Home Screen on your mobile phone and it feels like an app that takes you straight to your preferred page.

"Now anyone can go online at any time and access current readings and historic weather data.

"Volunteers with emergency services such as the CFA and SES benefit though the ability to see wind speed and directions from locations of the weather stations rather than a formula based application.

"Farming producers specifically benefit through accessing data to assist in their decision making on farm.

"The Bright weather station was funded through Community Bank Bright and in collaboration with the Bright Chamber of Commerce and added to the TAFCO network."

TAFCO first established four weather stations 16 years ago, which have since expanded to a network of 18 weather stations across strategic sites in the Kiewa, Ovens and King valleys through partnerships with individuals, organisations and grants.

TAFCO is recognised as an innovative and supportive farmer and community co-operative respected by both members and the broader community.

For more information, visit: www.tafco.com.au/weather/.