Wombat warriors rally against culling

HUNDREDS of people have rallied on Parliament Lawns in Hobart calling for greater protection of Tasmania’s wombat population.

Spectators hold signs at a rally on Parliament Lawns to draw attention to the problem of mange in the wombat population. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

HUNDREDS of people have rallied on Parliament Lawns in Hobart calling for greater protection of Tasmania’s wombat population.

The self-titled “wombat warriors” are calling on the State Government to stop issuing permits to landowners to shoot the animals.

Farmers argue they need to cull wombats to protect their crops and fences.

A petition bearing more than 33,000 signatures was handed to Labor candidate for Lyons, Darren Clark, to give to Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff.

Wombat Rescue president Kim Rettig said a fundraising campaign was under way to buy land on which to establish a large wombat sanctuary to protect the species from “mange, roads and bullets”.

The Tasmanian Greens today released a policy saying the party would immediately ban crop protection permits, establish wombat sanctuaries and provide $200,000 for more research into the disease and if transmission barriers at outbreak sites could help.

The State Government provided $100,000 earlier this year to help to fund research into the mange epidemic, conduct population surveys and help volunteers who are treating wombats in the wild.

It also revoked three culling permits in the Kelso area, where the wombat population has been particularly hard hit.