Robotic Dairy Shed – Tinamba West

CASE STUDY

Hillside Dairies – Building for the Future of Robotic Milking

Meeting the Demands of Large-Scale Robotic Dairy

Right in the dairy heartland of Central Gippsland, Hillside Daries at Tinamba West is leading the way in modern dairy innovation. Owned and operated by Alister and Katie Clyne, the business made the bold move to transition from a conventional 50-unit rotary dairy to one of the largest robotic milking facilities in Australia, commissioning a new shed and 16 DeLaval VMS V300 robots in July 2023.

Alister’s vision was clear: to create a high-performance, pasture-based robotic dairy that could handle 1,200 cows efficiently, minimise labour fatigue, and future-proof the business.

Hillside Dairies’ main farm grazing area being 250-280 hectares, and with all the existing dairy infrastructure centrally located on the farm, Alister decided that the new robotic dairy would be best located beside the existing rotary dairy shed. This meant that the new dairy shed had to be large enough to accommodate 16 robots and 24 feeding stations that would support 24-hour operation, animal welfare, and ongoing farm efficiency.

The Challenge: Scale, Design, and Seamless Integration

The Clyne’s faced challenges scaling the existing rotary dairy set-up. Difficulty finding staff to sustainably achieve the farm’s vision, Alister saw the advantages of going fully autonomous with a new robotic dairy.

The new purpose-built facility had to accommodate:

Overhead gantry systems for safe and efficient maintenance
An adjacent feeding area under the same roof
A dedicated staff office and workspace
Shed eave and ridge ventilation solutions to support animal welfare
16 robotic milking units

This project was about designing custom shed that made this level of robotic milking functional and sustainable for the long haul.

The Solution: A Purpose-Built Shed for Robotic Dairy Automation

Alister had worked with Bairnsdale Engineering on previous shed projects on the farm and selected them again to design his new robotic dairy shed.

An on-site farm visit ensured the team incorporated several important design features that needed to be included in the build.

Key Design Features

Custom Shed Size and Layout

Main shed frames were spaced optimally to suit the robot and automatic feed stations, and the internal height clearance considered the robot dairy infrastructure and overhead walkways. Lean-tos and internal walled-off rooms were added into the building design for staff offices and an engine room.

Eave and Ridge Ventilation

With the objective to support animal welfare, a vented ridge was installed along the length of the shed. Further eave and wall vent gaps were incorporated to provide additional airflow. Eave overhangs offered weather protection without impeding on the airflow

Concrete wall panels

Concrete wall panels were included in the design to assist with efficient clean-out of the shed as well as to try and minimise bruising in stock in the event of them coming in contact with the shed walls.

Custom door and access openings

Large access openings and multiple custom sliding doors supported ease of cattle movement while offering further ventilation. Bairnsdale Engineering’s heavy-duty sliding door guides ensured the large sliding door facing the prevailing weather is always contained within a guide. Being flush with the top of the concrete slab, the heavy-duty floor guide offers a smooth transition for vehicles entering and exiting the shed.

With Bairnsdale Engineering’s compact yet robust hot-dip galvanised universal beam columns and rafters, the internal fitout within the shed went smoothly, and the overall design was both practically and aesthetically a great result. The clean lines of the heavy-duty UB rafters reduce the risk of bird nesting or debris build-up; key to maintaining hygiene in a 24/7 milking environment.

The Results: Efficiency Gains, Labour Savings and Herd Performance

Since going live in July 2023, the facility has transformed operations at Hillside Dairies. Milking is now a continuous, low-intervention process.

Alister reports improved herd behaviour, less stress, and better milking consistency. For staff, the shift has been dramatic – reducing fatigue, extending career longevity, and allowing the team to focus on herd care, pasture management, and system optimisation rather than repetitive physical tasks.

As Alister puts it, “With the robots doing the heavy lifting, our focus is on fine-tuning the system not getting up at 2am. That’s the future of dairy.”

Why Bairnsdale Engineering?

For large-scale robotic dairies, success depends on more than just technology, it depends on the shed that brings it all together. Bairnsdale Engineering delivers sheds that don’t just protect the investment, they make it work.

From design to delivery, the team’s understanding of the dairy landscape ensures every structure is built for real-world performance, long-term use, and smart integration. The Hillside Dairies shed is a benchmark for what’s possible in robotic dairy farming.