Pest control in New South Wales will come down to a regional focus from July next year, with landholders obliged – under the new biosecurity act – to do their duty.
While fines will not be issued to those who fail at their task, compliance measures will come if landholders – resident or absent – don’t work to manage problem species, says Queanbeyan based Quentin Hart, manager invasive species strategy and planning with the Department of Primary Industries.
The new strategy, which directs management beyond 2020, will engage committees to tweak an approach to pest control on a regional level. Landholders will have a chance to play a role and become part of a biosecurity task force.
Absentee landholders will not be allowed to sit back and do nothing.
“There will be an educational push towards that end,” said Mr Hart. “And at some point there might be a requirement for compliance.”
Regional committees will priorities which pests deserve their attention. Areas where wild dogs impact on livestock will be mapped formally with 1080 ground baiting a preferred tool in controlling problem animals.
Follow-up action in the form of shooting and trapping will take place in some instances. Mr Hart said amateur shooters would probably not play a big role as on-site land managers were more effective.
“Resources don’t exist to control dogs everywhere,” he said, indicating that culling would be confined to known problem areas – for instance in strips along national park boundaries.
Northern Rivers Wild Dog Control Association president Tom Amey said he would welcome anything to get all landholders to work cohesively in the fight against wild dog attack on livestock.
“In our area absentee landholders are one of our biggest problems,” he said. “Everyone has to do their bit. We can’t leave it up to a few landholders. Baiting is our best defence but is best done through a planned program with a landscape-wide group of farmers.”
Meanwhile Humane Society International is hoping humanity will prevail in the fight against wild dogs, some of them ‘pure dingo’ and many others very close despite their markings.
Spokesman Evan Quartermain said the society had submitted its criticism of the aerial baiting program which was ‘unnecessary intervention’ and ‘over the top’.
“This program has big consequences not only for this species but also agriculture, with increased kangaroo numbers making an impact on pasture,” he said. “It’s no surprise when we kill their only predator.”
