THE final NSW pest plans unleashed at the weekend have seen three more Local Land Services regions call for law tweaks that would allow for easier management of wild deer incursions.
But while six regions – the Western, North West, Northern Tablelands, Riverina, South East, and Hunter - want to let local councils suspend hunting protections and expand control options, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party says it would stand in the way of any moves to change the the Game and Feral Animal Control Act.
Deer management has been a politically loaded issue in NSW with a divide between the recreational hunting lobby and farmer groups over whether to preserve the animal as an economic resource for hunting, or to relax protections and open up new methods to control the animal due to its increasing impact on farmers and the environment.
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We’ve got enough wood on the government at the moment that we would stand in the way of any changes
- Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers MP Robert Brown
However, Mr Brown said the proposed changes to deer management were initiated by a ‘flawed’ and ‘disgraceful’ Natural Resource Commission report in 2016, and were driven by “a small coalition of ideologically-minded people”.
He said adequate measures existed for affected farmers to handle problem deer, and questioned how much of an impact changing the state’s “robust and thorough” Game Act would have.
“We’ve got enough wood on the government at the moment that we would stand in the way of any changes,” Mr Brown said.
“Thousands and thousands of hours went into creating that Game Act, it isn’t just something that was thrown together.
“So there has not been a lot of science or common sense used here. We want to hear from the LLS. Tell us how many deer have been killed in those regions (that have had protections suspended), that wouldn’t normally have been killed without the regulation.
“With drought and kangaroo numbers the way they are I would have thought farmers had bigger worries on their hands.”
The Invasive Species Council and NSW Farmers are among those who have called for the protections on deer to be stripped away, due to a multitude of landholder reports.
Association president Derek Schoen said deer should be treated like any other feral species under biosecurity legislation “so we at least have a chance at achieving effective control”.
“We commend those LLS regions who have recommended reducing requirements of the Game Animal legislation and we are hopeful this will bring us one step closer to better management,” he said.
Hunters say allowing to licensed shooters into more areas of the state, including National Parks, was the best solution to control deer numbers.
It has argued against aerial culling and baiting, however, but would back deer being shot from ground vehicles.
What are the new pest plans?
The plans mark the end of a three-year review and consultation period on how NSW can whittle down the $170m in lost production - and additional environmental and social toll – caused by rabbits, foxes, cats, wild dogs, pigs, horses, goats, and deer every year.
All 11 LLS regions have their own individual plan to tackle pest species.
NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair also announced an extra $6m funding would help them roll out.
Deer was listed as an emerging or problem pest across the board in the 11 draft pest plans, and was singled out by three regions as serious enough to warrant a push to end Game Act deer protections across all council areas.
They were the North West, Northern Tablelands, and South East regions – with the final plans showing the Riverina, and Western LLS will follow suit in requesting law changes for local councils.
The Hunter LLS region also want to better control Sambar Deer everywhere outside Newcastle, Maitland, and Cessnock.