Swing or slide
Start with how much room the gate has. Merlin says a slide gate runs along a fence or wall on a ground-level track and suits wide entries or compact driveways, while a swing gate needs a clear arc to open into.
Among Merlin's swing openers are the Swing L300, the Swing A200 and the Swing LR 500. For sliding gates, CENTSYS rates its D5-Evo for gates up to 500kg, and ATA's Neoslider takes gates as heavy as 800kg, so the gate's weight narrows the list quickly.
Mains, solar or battery
Hervey Bay Airport averages 1052.6 mm of rain a year, with February and March the wettest months, so a solar gate needs a battery that can carry it through a wet spell. CENTSYS says its V-Series swing motors run on a 7.2Ah battery and can run off a solar supply.
Running mains to the gate is electrical work. A licensed electrician does it, and in Queensland they must give you a certificate of testing and compliance once the work is connected.
The standard and the beams
AS/NZS 60335.2.103:2024 sets the safety requirements for electric drives for gates in homes. CENTSYS says the D5-Evo senses obstructions and its alarm functions need safety beams fitted. A gate is heavy: keep children, pets and bikes clear while it moves.
Around Hervey Bay
Along the shore
Seawalls guard the highest-priority parts of the Hervey Bay shoreline. Close to the water, ask about the finish on the gate, its hinges and the motor housing.
Older homes
Federation Queenslanders still stand in Pialba and Urangan. On a heritage-style front, ask whether a motor can sit out of sight.
Storms
A tornado hit properties at Burrum Heads in January 2013. A gate on battery, with a manual release, still opens when a storm takes out the power.
What we would do
Push the gate through its full travel by hand before anyone quotes. If it binds near one end, mention it, since sorting the hinges or track first saves the motor from working against the gate.