Slide or swing, then weight
The way the gate opens decides the motor type. Merlin describes a slide gate as one that runs on wheels along a track at ground level and slides back along a fence or wall, while a swing gate needs a clear arc to open into.
Then comes weight, because every motor has a limit. ATA says its Neoslider handles sliding gates as heavy as 800kg, and Merlin rates its Slide 600 for gates up to 600 kg and 8m long. A solid steel gate is far heavier than an open aluminium one, so tell the door specialist what yours is made of.
Solar under wet-season cloud
Cairns is not the sunniest city for a solar gate. Cairns Aero averages 134.9 cloudy days a year and 17.4 in February alone, and its mean daily solar exposure drops to 15.4 MJ per square metre in June, against 23.5 in November.
A solar gate can still work, but the panel and battery need to cover a run of grey days. Merlin's Slide 600 can run on mains, solar or low voltage, so ask whether mains power is the safer choice for a busy driveway.
Power to the gate
Running mains power out to a gate is electrical work, and in Queensland it needs a licensed electrician. When the work is connected, the licensed electrical contractor must give you a certificate of testing and compliance, so keep it with the gate papers.
Beams, children and pets
A motorised gate is heavy and moves on its own. Merlin says operating a gate from its myQ app needs Safety IR Beams fitted, and AS/NZS 60335.2.103:2024 sets the safety rules for electric gate drives in homes. Keep children and pets well clear while it moves.
Around Cairns
Heavy rain
Cairns Aero averages 21.5 days a year with 25 mm of rain or more. Ask where the control box will sit and how it stays dry.
Storm tide areas
The Reconstruction Authority suggests moving wiring above the storm tide level in prone areas, which includes the power supply for a gate motor.
Cyclone season
Steel-Line notes that cyclones can reach the northern coast each year from November to April. A gate that runs on battery, with a manual release you know how to use, matters then.
What we would do
Open and close the gate by hand before anyone quotes. If it drags or catches in the wet, say so, because a track or hinge that fights the gate will wear out the new motor long before its time.