EXPENSIVE PEST: Pigs cost Whitsundays $12M every year

The financial damage could be even higher according to a cane farmer who says the animals are devastating crops.

Feral pigs are wreaking havoc across the Whitsundays.

FERAL pigs are wreaking havoc on the region's farms and properties with estimates of damage skyrocketing to more than $12 million a year.

Cane farmer Gary Simpson says the damage could be even more costly than that with the impact extending beyond the hip pocket.

Early last year, Whitsunday Regional Council received a grant of $133,000 over three years for animal control and research.

As part of the research, 24 landholders were surveyed by Synergies from June 2019 to May 2020 about the impacts of wild pigs on their property.

The research revealed the estimated the cost of feral pigs to farms across the region was about $12.58 million every year.

Division 5 councillor Gary Simpson said wild pigs caused extensive damage on his cane farm.

This included a yearly impact of $2.4 million on regional grazing, $4.1 million on regional horticulture and $0.84 million on sugarcane.

However, cane farmer and Whitsunday Division 5 councillor Gary Simpson believes the cost for farmers would be even higher.

Cr Simpson estimated the pigs impacted "at least" 100 tonnes of cane on his property every year, costing him about $6000.

"They eat the cane, they dig up the headlands and make everything rough," he said.

"If the pigs happen to come on your property and you don't disturb them, they'll stay there until they are disturbed and after a few days they make a real mess."

 

Data from Synergies revealed the impact of the pigs on crops in the Whitsundays.

Cr Simpson also said the cost was not just financial as he had to constantly monitor his farm to ensure there were no pigs and replace infrastructure that was damaged.

The report revealed proof of Cr Simpson's anecdotes, stating the total region-wide cost of repairs to on-farm irrigation infrastructure and additional fencing because of feral pigs was estimated at $147,414 per year, $836,886 of which stemmed from the sugarcane sector.

Land protection officer at Whitsunday Regional Council Bren Fuller said eradication programs including ground baiting and aerial shooting were under way.

"Pigs have always done damage whether it's to the environment or to farms or infrastructure," he said.

Harry Bruce's take on the possible increase in feral pig numbers as a result of quad bike safety changes in Mackay. Picture: Harry Bruce

"The land use is constantly changing so the pigs are constantly responding to that.

"Ground baiting works when the pigs are hungry, it only works in certain areas well.

"We use aerial baiting in areas where there's no roads (and) no accessibility, so the hills around here where there's no tracks and you can't get in there with a vehicle and it's away from people and houses and domestic animals."

Council's director of community and environment Julie Wright said the cost of eradication was far lower than the impact the feral pigs had on both farms and national parks.

Ms Wright said on average, it costs $60 to "destroy a pig".

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Each pig caused on average $540 worth of damage per year in agricultural fields and $920 worth of damage per year to the region's biodiversity.

Mr Fuller said council would continue to work to control pigs, including through collaboration with neighbouring councils.

"Eradication is not a word to even think about," he said.

"It will never happen but it's more about reducing the pigs and thereby reducing the pigs we will reduce the amount of damage that farmers are copping."

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