THE fight against pest animals on the Southern Downs will take to the skies next week, with military grade drones to be used to monitor populations of feral pests.

Southern Downs Regional Council is partnering with Australian technology company Ninox Robotics to use the drones in pest animal control.

Pest management officer Craig Magnussen said the council would put the technology to use to accurately gauge populations and improve current practices.

"We are excited by the opportunities the technology presents, particularly in detecting animals over vast areas of inaccessible terrain and making traditional broad scale pest animal control methods such as aerial baiting and shooting more efficient," he said.

"Having witnessed some of Ninox Robotics' early trial work, Council and its partners in this project, Goondiwindi Regional Council and Granite Borders Landcare Committee are very pleased to be a part of the first commercial application of the technology."

The project has been funded as part of the Queensland Government's Drought Relief (Feral Animals) program.

According to Ninox Robotics the drones are designed to provide efficient and safe monitoring at a cost-effective price.

Managing Director of Ninox Robotics Marcus Ehrlich said he eager to be working alongside forward-thinking organisations such as Southern Downs Regional Council who are looking for intelligent, cost-effective solutions to leverage practical, comprehensive information in real-time.

"The amount of interest we've received so far across different industries and levels of government signals that Australian businesses and landholders are eager to see how these drones can make a difference in their bottom line," he said.

The first drone are expected to be deployed earl next week, and landholders are encouraged to attend.

At this stage the deployment will be mid-morning on June 29 or June 30, subject to approval.

Landholders interested in attending can phone Pest Management Officer, Craig Magnussen, on 1300 MY SDRC (1300 697 372) with their details for confirmation of the date, time and location.