Deer control Manningham: Council looks to hire deer control plan consultant

A council in Melbourne’s north east wants to hire a consultant to help it manage a growing number of destructive deer in the area.

A council in Melbourne’s north east is looking to hire a consultant to help it manage the growing number of destructive feral deer in the area.

Manningham Council is looking to engage a consultant or contractor to project manage its 2022-2023 strategic deer control and monitoring program, as it looks to limit the damage the growing deer population are causing in the area.

According to the council’s tender summary, to protect biodiversity, it engages, supports and subsidises private landholders to safely undertake pest deer control and management.

This deer management program has been well-established for more than five years and more than 350 deer have been removed.

Under the program the council has established strict eligibility criteria and safety requirements for a safe deer shooting control program.

The state government has awarded a grant of about $100,000 to Manningham to extend financial support for this deer management program during the 2022/23 financial year.

The grant forms part of the Victorian Deer Control Strategy (VDCS), released in October 2020, developed by the government in response to the rapid increase in wild deer numbers across the state.

The plan aims to reduce the impacts of deer through cost-effective deer control and other management measures.

More deer have been spotted in Melbourne’s suburbs in recent years, including a deer on the loose in Johnston St, Fitzroy. Picture: Twitter/@AussieAusborne

The council previously reported wild deer were a growing problem in suburban areas, such as Templestowe, East Doncaster and Bulleen and other parts of the Yarra River catchment.

It said deer cause significant damage to native vegetation, farmland and gardens, carry disease, and have the potential to harm people.

Earlier this year Templestowe resident Michael Banks said he “thought he was seeing things” when he saw a large deer crossing Fitzsimons Lane in Templestowe on Sunday, June 26, just before 9.30pm.

Mr Banks said he was not just surprised at seeing the animal, but also at how large it was.

“It was as tall as the car, easily, and it looked quite sturdy,” he said.

The Manningham Council deer consultant will be responsible for delivering the state government funded grant project: ‘Protecting Manningham’s biodiversity values through strategic deer control (PMBV)’.

The state government is aiming to reduce “the devastating environmental impacts” of feral deer with the state’s first region-specific deer control plan.

Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the Peri-urban Deer Control Plan sets out a long-term co-ordinated approach to control feral deer numbers in the outskirts of eastern and northern Melbourne.

High priority waterways, national parks and reserves will be targeted for deer control within Manningham, Knox, Cardinia, Whittlesea, Nillumbik and Yarra Ranges council areas.

Control methods include shooting, fencing and guards, traps and using dogs to flush deer into areas where other techniques may be used.

There will also be $250,000 of grants available to local councils and land managers to undertake safe control activities including sustainable hunting.