Ph 1300 638 776 (NETPRO)
Support / FAQs2024-01-01T08:42:00+10:00

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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You have assessed the benefits of canopy netting, and you reckon you want to trial some; or you have seen canopies in action, and have decided to go the whole hog and cover the entire orchard.

Now a whole heap of new questions arise: What type of structure is best? What type of canopy? And who are you going to get to install it? Where can you get materials, and where can you go for advice? Read our FAQ’s and contact us for more information….

What if I purchase net in panels, how will I attach it to a frame?2018-01-08T22:41:44+10:00

NetPro have designed a clip lock product, made of light aluminium with a wiggly wire that fits snuggly together holding the net in place under tension. The Netting doesn’t get caught or torn so it isn’t compromised in any way, it can be re tensioned at any time. Sold in three metre lengths it has revolutionised greenhouse construction. Prices are included in our retail catalogue.

How do I cover an individual tree?2018-01-08T22:40:14+10:00

We have many home gardeners that have shown their ingenuity by creating an arching canopy from Star pickets and poly pipe. This framework allows easy application of net over the tree without tearing it. Keeping the net taught by tying around the base of the tree or by using weights, will enable a smooth surface for a possum to run over or a bat to glance off. The net being on a framework away from the ripening fruit, will provide a barrier to determined beaks, and not provide a surface to get purchase on

I have purchased a farm that has a structure in place, can I just purchase netting2018-01-08T22:38:52+10:00

Yes. We provide a supply only service and provide installation advice.

How do I choose the right net?2018-01-08T22:35:39+10:00

Location: All locations have differing climatic conditions eg. Hail, sun, wind etc. These generally dictate what size net should be used, which in turn dictates structure size.

Crop: Choosing the right net type and colour for your crop is essential. Colour is the biggest decision to make when deciding on a protective canopy.

Variety: With apples in particular different varieties require different shade levels. For example, we would generally advise not to place white net over Granny smith apples as they can still receive sunburn in some areas and red apples can have trouble colouring under some black nets.

How much does the average canopy cost?2018-01-08T22:32:33+10:00

There is no average canopy, every orchard is different, every canopy is bespoke. Call us we have a range of solutions to keep costs reasonable.

How good are Dam covers?2018-01-08T22:31:13+10:00

For shading water holding and storage have been proven to reduce evaporation and therefore translates to economic viability saving 69-71% of evaporation.

Are the Prices for your products available somewhere, or do I have to ring up?2018-01-08T22:28:50+10:00

Our Retail Catalogue is available on this website, you can do your own ‘homework’ before placing an order as prices are included.

I am not in Australia but I like your canopies, what about overseas clients?2018-01-08T22:11:32+10:00

We have many overseas clients and both large and small. We ship around the world so your request will not be any problem for us.

Can I pick up net from your HQ in Stanthorpe?2018-01-08T22:12:51+10:00

Yes of course. We are open 9- 5 every day except gazetted holidays. We do prefer that you call us on 1300 638 776 and place an order, so that we can have your products ready for you.

Where can I buy netting for my garden?2018-01-08T22:14:50+10:00

Here at Netpro we have a range of options designed for the home gardener. You can consult our catalogue on the website for prices and shop online at or our eBay portal. We also take phone orders, so call now and well help you get the right product for your garden. We have specialist on-sellers for our products, and they can be found on the Retail menu of the website.

Can I purchase canopy repair materials?2018-01-08T22:16:19+10:00

Our repair products are all available for purchase, call and enquire we will promptly post out your requirements.

Plant first, or Net first?2016-04-20T19:29:17+10:00

In considering this aspect, weigh up the cash flow issues associated with all your development being paid for in the first couple of years, against faster tree development under net, earlier maturity and volume of production etc. A general rule of thumb is that if your rows are going to be 3m or wider, you can retain the option to net later. On the other hand, if you can invest up-front, you will have larger returns sooner from your investment.

What is it like to work under a net?2017-08-22T21:50:23+10:00

Many orchard workers find the microclimate under the net to be more comfortable; under coloured net such as red it can be difficult to discern colours but sunglasses tend to solve this problem.

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Orchard owners have reported improved picking volumes; and along with the greater pack-out due to better fruit quality, this can have a marked effect on the bottom line.

How much will the net shade my crop?2016-04-20T14:47:00+10:00

Different nets have different shading properties. This depends not only on the density of the net, but also on its colour – be it black, white, grey or red etc. Other variables to consider are the crop and its requirements, the climate and sunshine hours etc, as different crops in different areas respond differently to various levels of shade. This is where it becomes important to research your requirements carefully – our consultants are very knowledgeable on these subjects and have a great deal of practical experience.

Do nets provide Frost Protection?2020-02-19T10:34:11+10:00

Frost-cloth can diminish the effect of frost in a number of ways, including capturing a pocket of warmer air and physically preventing ice from forming directly on or in plant tissues. Frost-cloth will not harm the plants if it remains on the plants for extended periods of time as it will provide a warm, light-filled and sheltered micro-climate for sensitive plants to flourish.

What else can a canopy do?2016-04-20T14:58:49+10:00

Canopies play an important part in reducing the water consumption by providing an environment that reduces evapotranspiration. Along the same theme, canopies have been developed as Dam Covers to protect irrigation resources. The NetPro dam covers consist of cables suspended across the dam and covered with shade-cloth. Keeping the cover low, at dam-wall height, reduces wind resistance and expense.

Canopies are excellent for Environment manipulation and can be used for producing fruits outside of their normal climatic range; this can aid in farm diversification.

Canopies markedly reduce wind damage. Windbreaks can be incorporated as part of the canopy design or designed as stand-alone structures; either way, canopies and windbreaks are important tools in reducing wind damage to trees and fruit, and reducing spray drift to surrounding areas.

What sort of covering should I have?2018-01-08T22:37:23+10:00

Knowing what you are trying to achieve in the garden or orchard will determine the type of cover well advise for you. Pest exclusion, Insect Exclusion, weather protection or combinations of these factors will determine the ideal product. The topography and space to cover Present their own challenges and the type of produce you are growing all have their own requirements. Call our experts and get the best advice.

Catalogue

Success Stories

AutoNexus Pty Ltd

I hereby confirm that Netpro Commercial Constructions have been our exclusive supplier of hail mesh structures for over 5 years. During this time, Netpro have installed approximately 10 hectares of mesh across 5 sites, and 4 states. They have also undertaken several insurance repairs, and maintenance programs. I have found Justin and his team to be experts in their field, as well as being very easy to deal with. They have offered advice in various scenarios which has lead to read more

T Erickson National Vehicle Operations Manager April 23, 2015

JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding

Discovering Net-Pro has been valuable for JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding!! As we were considering options to rebuild pens and shade structures this past year, finding a comprehensive solution that fulfilled a wide range of needs for the feed yard seemed almost impossible. Those needs included increased height for airflow & drying, eliminating poles in the middle of the pens to improve pen surface conditions and facilitate cleaning with heavy equipment, and better shade coverage with less material – and read more

John Foley - VP Operations & COO JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding. USA January 13, 2016

Golden Valley Orchards

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 (among 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.” read more

Renato Andreatta Golden Valley Orchards Pty Ltd, Granite Belt QLD January 15, 2009

Patrick Autocare

For over 50 years, Patrick Autocare has continued to set the pace in Australia with its integrated service offering of processing, storage and distribution of motor vehicles. Responsible for the transportation of more than one million vehicle movements each year, Patrick Autocare has a storage capacity of 65,000 motor vehicles through on-wharf and off-wharf facilities. Our operational and market environment dictates that majority of these vehicle storage facilities be protected by hail mesh structures, and in this regard, our very read more

Marc Geyer National Processing Manager June 14, 2015

Prixcar Victoria

Prixcar recently engaged Netpro Canopies to install our latest hail netting canopy in Altona Victoria. Netpro installed one of their Flat UB3 canopies which is performing very well. We found the team at Netpro to be extremely professional and obliging, they worked in well with our operations and endeavoured to make sure all our requirements were met.

Prixcar Vehicle Transport Specialist Altone, Victoria June 22, 2020

Gary and Ursula, Lychees

I’m writing to thank you for your excellent product. We covered our ten year old lychee patch with the Fruit Fly net using steel post/poly pipe tunnels. The result has been extraordinary – the first time we have ever been able to harvest clean, mature fruit from these trees! The feeling under the nets is one of complete peace – protected from all predatory insects and birds. Until now we ate lychees as half-green, tart fruit in order to rescue read more

Gary and Ursula Salisbury OGA Certified Producer 872A February 6, 2012

Magnificent Product

In 2017 I moved from Toowoomba to Geham north of Toowoomba. I set up a temporary shade house for my Clivia collection. During the Winter I had a negative 7°C morning and as a result I lost over 250 plants. I called NetPro in Stanthorpe and spoke to Glenn McRae about options to protect my plants. Glen recommended their Frost Cloth Spun-bonded Polypropylene (“fleece”) White, 30gsm (grams per square metre). This year I had a negative 6.5°C and under the read more

Brad Ezzy Toowoomba. QLD October 17, 2019

Rewards Group Ltd

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 read more

Bill Hatton Horticulture Projects Manager January 28, 2009

TradeCoast Central

I had the pleasure of dealing with Justin, Michael and the Netpro team during construction of a new facility for Autonexus, in Eagle Farm Queensland. The requirement was for 30,000m2 of hail net installed over two stages. From the very early design and negations to contract management, installation and importantly post construction the staff and contractors were at all times professional and responsive to the specific site challenges that we faced. The project was completed on time, defect period commitments read more

Cassie Eivers Project Director April 14, 2015

Port Of Brisbane

I can’t believe it’s been over 9 years since Netpro installed the first Hail canopy at our facility here at the Port of Brisbane. With this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to thank yourself and your company for your continued support and services provided. We have been extremely please with the overall performance of the canopies and also thankful for the lack of general maintenance required on the canopies. We look forward to working with you read more

Mark Neander Senior Manager Property Development April 28, 2015

Sandalwood Feedlot Pty Ltd

We liked the product NetPro offered, quality was our main criteria. The option of wooden posts was 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 read more

Kevin Roberts - Manager/Director H Sandalwood Feedlot Pty Ltd, near Dalby, QLD October 23, 2017

Mazda Australia Pty Ltd

Mazda Australia has been the leading full line importer of motor vehicles into Australia for nearly a decade. Selling over 100,000 vehicles annually, our business requires multiple vehicle storage and logistic solutions nationally. To this end Mazda Australia has a requirement that all of our vehicles stored at any of our Vehicle Distribution facilities need to be under a hail net. Mazda has a long term relationship with Netpro and a strong relationship with the local Netpro team headed by read more

Kym Mellow National Manager - Vehicle Operation May 13, 2015

Southern Downs Regional Council

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 read more

Scott Cobon Manager, Built Environment December 10, 2008