BILL HATTON, HORTICULTURE
PROJECTS - MANAGER, REWARDS
GROUP LTD.

- 28th January 2009.

“As major investors in the Australian horticulture industry, Rewards Group Ltd needs to ensure maximized returns on all funds invested, particularly in orchard infrastructure. Accordingly, our choice of contractors is critical to the final success of any project."

“At Rewards we recognise that NetPro Pty Ltd is clearly the industry leader when it comes to protective canopies. They have the best quality product, and a reputation to match.   Rewards Group is now a major client of Netpro, having recently covered over 90 hectares of stonefruit orchards at Childers, and we are also finalizing new canopies at our Kumbia orchard.

Canopy construction is still on-going, and we are 100% satisfied with the projects completed for us in the three years to date.  The quality of finish, the robust engineering … it’s all first-class.  Our choice & trust in NetPro has been well and truly vindicated by the finished results.  We consider the canopies to be a serious & integral factor in the protection of our fruit -- consequently it’s been a high component of our investment in these projects.

Apart from the known protection features (from fruit-bats, birds and hail), we are capitalising on the valuable bonus that the canopy structure creates a controlled microclimate, resulting in wind reduction (with less fruit-rub), more stable growing temperatures, and enhanced colour.  All in all, it creates a safe & ideal environment for the production of our fruit.

As a fruitgrower myself, I have worked closely with Netpro over many years covering my own orchards, so already had plenty of previous experience with their highly professional standards. "

ROBERT CHANNON, OWNER
ROBERT CHANNON WINES
- 22nd August 2007.

“I think it has made all the difference to the quality of our product – it has saved us from bird attack and from hail damage.” To date, Robert Channon Wines have won 23 trophies, 17 gold medals, 26 silver and 55 bronze medals since 2001.

SOUTHERN DOWNS REGIONAL
COUNCIL, QLD SCOTT COBON,
MANAGER, BUILT ENVIRONMENT, SDRC
-10th December 2008

"Initially the idea of the net canopy over the landfill was discussed with Netpro as they are a local company and at the time Netpro was considering advancing into this area (protection of landfills). Netpro assisted Council with a very reasonable price which allowed the project to proceed. At the time the landfill site had problems with wind blown litter and a solution to fully prevent this problem was not easy until the canopy was suggested.

Following construction of the canopy over the landfill the litter problem ceased, which provides for a much tidier site, less complaints from surrounding properties, and less maintenance costs to collect litter on site and on surrounding properties. The canopy also provides some protection from birds accessing the rubbish and dropping it elsewhere.

The only issues experienced with the canopy relate to machinery and contact with the canopy. When this damage has occurred we received prompt service from Netpro staff who attended to the repairs almost immediately.

Landfill sites are now required to be operated under a licence issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and this requires that it be maintained in a tidy state. The old terminology of 'dump' no longer applies as these sites must be well controlled environmentally.

The Council is currently constructing a Resource Recovery Centre on the site and this will further provide environmental controls on the site and what is able to be recycled and what may go to landfill. Once completed the site will be easier to operate and maintain.

Thank you for the chance to provide positive review for a very worthwhile system. "

MARK CHAPMAN DIRECTOR
RL CHAPMAN PTY LTD.
- June 2008.

“We chose NetPro to construct our protective canopies, as we know NetPro have been around for some time, we know their work and there are plenty of examples of their work around – we like the consistency of standard.  In addition, NetPro are recognized by the Finance bodies, and it is much easier to get finance for a structure.”

OWEN & DIANNE CHEETHAM
- Townsville, September 2009

We live in North Queensland and have a nine metre pool. We needed to replace the pool cover but most local businesses we contacted wanted to replace it with a shade sail and the one quote we received to fabricate a new cover to our design seemed exceedingly high.

The cover is six metres by five metres with four ribs running the length to accommodate aluminium tubes. The cover is suspended on steel ropes across the pool and has pulleys to pull it back and forward across the pool. This allows it to be stretched tightly across the pool but during a cyclone the cover can easily be pulled back in a concertina fold and tied against the building. A 95% UV protection cloth was used as the evaporation rate for Townsville is 2.4metres per annum and the water can get very warm without a good quality cover.

This led to a search on the Internet for pool covers and came up with shade cloth lengths at Netpro's Ebay store. We then sent an e-mail with a drawing of the pool cover and requested a quote. The quote that came back from Netpro was very reasonable so we went ahead and had it manufactured. It was delivered to North Queensland within 12 days of the order being confirmed and we are extremely happy with the finished product. It is well made with reinforced edges and very strong. Netpro were very helpful in wrapping it small enough so that it could be sent by Australia Post Parcel delivery saving a substantial amount on the delivery cost.

Although this is only a small order compared to most jobs normally carried out by Netpro, the service we received from their sales team was professional and very helpful at all times.

PAUL WINMILL, OWNER WINMILL
CARAVANS
- Victoria 2003

KEVIN ROBERTS,
MANAGER/DIRECTOR,
SANDALWOOD FEEDLOT PTY LTD, NEAR DALBY, QLD
- 23rd January 2009.

“We particularly liked the product offered by NetPro – high quality was our main criteria.  The option of wooden posts was also an important feature because of the highly-corrosive conditions in the feedlot environment.  We were able to work through the construction plan and the materials options during the quoting process.

After construction was completed, we had a couple of small issues, which NetPro worked through with us – the backup service was very good, and we are really happy with the result.

 The most important outcome we sought was the provision of shade without the associated increase in pen maintenance costs.  The NetPro product provides adequate shade with manageable pen maintenance.  (We also have iron shade structures on site, so we can compare the two types very easily).  The main advantage of the Netpro shade is that rain is evenly distributed."

RENATO ANDREATTA, OF GOLDEN
VALLEY ORCHARDS PTY LTD,
GRANITE BELT (STANTHORPE) QLD.
- 15th January 2009.

In 2003, Golden Valley Orchards were offered the opportunity to work with the NCEA (National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture) and NetPro Pty Ltd on a research project evaluating the effectiveness of (amongst others) NetPro’s dam-covers.

Renato says of his first impressions of the idea:  “Evaporation is a pretty big problem – I thought it was definitely a good idea.  The only problem was the expense: the cover cost two hundred thousand but we received a subsidy of eighty thousand.”

The dam in question is the main dam for Golden Valley Orchards, holding some twenty-five million gallons (133ML), has a surface area of eight acres (3.3ha).  The Golden Valley Orchards extend over 200 acres (83ha), irrigated from this dam and a couple of other smaller dams.

The dam cover was completed by November 2003.  Five years down the track, Renato says “We are very happy with it (the cover).  It reduces evaporation losses by over 90%, so you could say there was hardly any evaporation.”  This is tribute indeed, for according to the Bureau of Meteorology maps, the Stanthorpe region’s average annual evaporation is higher than its average annual rainfall (evaporation 1600mm/year; rainfall 1000mm/year).

The net outcome for Golden Valley Orchards is “we have saved so much water that it’s made a difference between having enough water and not”, says Renato.  He continues:  “What do we lose here?  Over metre a year?  Look at that over four years: four metres over the surface area of the dam ….. that’s a lot of water!” 

SUSAN & TERRRY GIACOSA,
OWNERS, APPLETHORPE, QLD
- December 2002,