Feral deer policy gaps

The Federal Government describes deer as an expanding pest problem that causes “major impacts” to agriculture and noted that new control methods may be needed as deer numbers grow.

However, NSW Government policy does not reflect the Commonwealth’s dim view, listing the animal as a game species.

NSW lags behind Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia in declaring deer a feral pest, which means no official control measures are in place outside of National Parks management measures.

Deer can significantly impact agriculture operations by competing with stock for pasture, fouling waterholes, eroding soil, spreading weeds and transmitting pests and diseases according to the Commonwealth.

In its 2014 report Australia’s Biosecurity Future, the CSIRO said a lack of control measures could lead to wild deer numbers growing, ramping up the risk of foot and mouth and bluetongue outbreaks

Landowner from Upper Corindi, Martin Swain runs cattle and dorper sheep on his 140 hectare property.

He said deer had not been seen in the district until two years ago and were now impacting producers.

“They jump over fences and land on them. The younger ones can go through them.

“They’re competing with cattle and creating grazing pressure.”

Mr Swain said he fears ticks carried by feral deer could carry lymes disease.

A southern NSW beef producer running 400 head of cattle, who declined to be named due to fear of repercussions from recreational hunters, said at least 100 deer were regularly on their property.

They said a conservative estimate put the cost of deer in grazing pressure alone at $20,000 per year.

The CSIRO estimated there were 200,000 feral deer in Australia.

Invasive Species Council chief executive Andrew Cox warned the problem was likely even larger, and CSIRO’s estimate was “very conservative”.

“That figure was drawn from a 2002 survey and even for that time we think it was an underestimate,” he said.

The deer population will keep growing under the current approach, Mr Cox said.

“Control measures can’t get much worse. We think it’s even easier to shoot a wallaby or a wombat than a deer now.

“We need a State-wide containment policy to prevent deer spreading more rapidly into new areas.”

The Greens today launched a policy which would declare deer a pest.

“In 2012, under pressure from the Shooters and Fishers Party, the NSW government passed special regulations related to deer hunting which deliberately hampered feral deer control and eradication efforts at the expense of agriculture and the environment.

“These changes included the imposition of bag limits, a deer season, the prohibition of hunting at night and bans on shooting from a vehicle or with a spotlight.”

Deer were introduced in the nineteenth century as game animals, but populations remained relatively small until recently.

“Pre-1990s populations were small and isolated to the Royal National Park (south of Sydney) and the North Coast,” Mr Cox said.

“But deer farming expanded and a lot went bust and deer escaped or were abandoned.

“Deer could potentially spread into the Western Division.

“People associate them with forests but we have been advised they could spread to woodland and rangeland areas as some deer like the (south Asian) Chital are well adapted to warm climates.”