The two metre by 2.5 metre metal sculpture of five red poppies, which depict the one in five men who enlisted for services during World War I and did not return home. 

Thinking that the RSL might be interested in that one after January 18, On the Pulse considered the matter would be a straightforward, rubber stamp type decision that would be passed in the blink of an eye. 

After all, it would be a ‘rotation’ of that massively popular, huge question mark that’s there now. But On the Pulse was ill-prepared to witness the subliminal brilliance of that conceptual piece working its rustic magic on councillors. 

Cr Johnston expressed concern that the poppy statue replacing the question mark that represented an unknown statue yet to be decided upon might confuse the issue, while Cr Watts said she was asked if the question mark was an advertisement for a bank. 

Like the proverbial moth to the flame, Cr Girle was also drawn in. 

He admitted he was confused by the poppy statue’s message. He thought it should have been only one poppy with four of ‘something else’. 

While On the Pulse confesses to a degree of initial confusion about one question mark and four of ‘nothing else’, it thought it was fair enough when Cr Johnston made the proviso that it be made clear the poppy sculpture was only temporary when he moved it be placed on the roundabout.

Farmers are on the verge of getting some really awesome gear. On the Pulse was very jealous when it read about the new high-tech, military-grade surveillance drones coming onto the market for invasive pest control.

Of course the people who are marketing it say it’s a quantum leap in pest intelligence gathering, but On the Pulse just thinks it’s just as cool as.

These drones have a wingspan of about three metres and fuselage of about one metre, they fly for about four hours to cover an area of up to 100km2, have a top air speed of 120 kilometres per hour and a top ceiling of 400 metres.

They are fitted with dual-payload cameras that can switch easily between normal visual spectrum and thermal imaging, for night detection, which is streamed live to ground control stations.

A warfare technology, the unarmed drones are well suited to join landholders and managers in their decades-long battle against invasive species. Feral dogs, pigs, deer and rabbits have caused billions of dollars in lost revenue, and significant destruction to our unique biodiversity. 

Last week’s trial in southern Queensland saw the drone detect invasive pests from the air and provide that information in real-time to a pest management officer. It also demonstrated the versatility of the system with a successful mock rescue of a person lost in the bush, it searched for small brush fires from more than five kilometres away, and catalogued a mob of sheep.

For On the Pulse, this is just fantastic stuff. 

Just imagine being able to skite to your mates how you took out a mob of feral pigs with a drone strike!