Feral deer, pigs and goats in Australia: Inquiry recommends more funding

Two and half years on, a federal inquiry into the impact of feral deer, pigs and goats has wrapped up. See what it found and what the government has been asked to do.

A federal inquiry into the impact of feral deer, pigs and goats in Australia has recommended greater funding and the need for more data.

The impact of feral deer, pigs and goats has been put under a microscope, revealing much more is needed to be done to control the species, which costs agricultural businesses hundreds of millions of dollars.

A federal inquiry into the impact of feral deer, pigs and goats in Australia – established in 2018 – tabled its report yesterday, outlining the need for gathering better data and undertaking species and impact mapping so decision makers can understand trends and prioritise better control measures.

The report made clear the feral animals were a major threat to Australia’s biodiversity and pose a significant challenge to containing exotic diseases – which can be passed from the feral animal to livestock and sometimes humans too.

It found that deer populations appeared to be growing rapidly in both total numbers and overall range, with increasing impacts.

But data on all three species was lacking, with much of the existing data either out-of-date or incomplete, and therefore the committee recommended data gathering was prioritised.

Tasmanian wool grower Simon Cameron told the inquiry the impost of feral deer on his property reduces his farm output by 10 to 15 per cent, at a financial loss of about $50,000 a year.

“In terms of wool production, the main impact is through competition for feed,” he said. “We also have the spread of weeds through deer.

“If you follow deer tracks or you come across deer carcasses, there are frequently weeds growing around the carcasses.

“Keeping the bush clear of that sort of unwanted growth is a major task.”

The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association conducted a survey of 250 of its members on the cost of deer impacts on farms, estimating an indicative annual cost of $10 to $80 million.

Tallangatta Valley Landcare Group estimated that landholders in its area of regional Victoria experience losses in excess of $2 million a year to feral deer predation of pastures.

A grazier from the south east of the NSW high country told the inquiry that deer impacts were conservatively costing about $100,000 annually across his farming operation.

The inquiry committee’s report said it was crucial that both private and public landholders could take appropriate measures to manage feral deer.

From the evidence received through the inquiry, the committee found many witnesses, particularly in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, saw an urgent need to address increasing numbers of deer and felt a lack of support from those state governments.

However, it noted the states had announced some welcomed measures over the course of the inquiry.

The committee recommended all states make any necessary changes to legislation to ensure wild deer are treated as an environmental pest; maximise the ability of landholders to control feral deer on their land; and maximise the ability of park managers to control feral deer in World Heritage Areas and National Parks.

The inquiry also found that current regulatory framework for managing feral deer, pigs and goats is complex and lacks co-ordination across Australian jurisdictions.

Greater funding was recommended in a number of areas, with the committee finding that the current approach to funding control and management programs was ad hoc, often short-term, and uncoordinated between levels of government.

The committee recommended the Australian Government provide significant long-term funding to support the implementation of the National Feral Pig Action Plan once it is finalised, as well as the proposed National Feral Deer Action Plan.

It also recommended funding towards a second long-term grant agreement for the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, which is heavily involved in research projects relating to best practice management of deer, pigs and goats, as the current funding agreement is due to expire in 2022.

Other recommendations included the Australian Government undertaking an immediate review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Threat Abatement Plans for feral pigs and feral goats, in light of their perceived ineffectiveness, and all Australian jurisdictions implementing frameworks to support the commercial harvesting of feral deer.

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