Fears grow of feral pig damage to Victorian farms, natural environment
Farmers and hunters are calling on government departments to act now over swelling feral pig numbers in prime farming regions and in what should be pristine Victorian bushland.
A SOUTHWEST Victorian farmer has waited more than a year for the state’s public land managers to make good on their obligation to control feral pigs infesting bushland neighbouring his farm.
Hotspur’s Philip Gough is calling on government departments to control the destructive pest, which he said was out of control on public lands and encroaching on farms, doing “unbelievable damage” to the environment, destroying the forest floor as well as damaging pastures and fences on private land.
He was also concerned pigs would disturb lambing ewes, potentially leading to lamb deaths.
Mr Gough contacted Park Victoria in May 2019 to notify them of feral pigs damaging bushland near his farm and coming onto his property.
Over several months he contacted Nelson and Heywood government offices, as well as calling Melbourne numbers, and spoke with DELWP and Parks Victoria staff who assured him that traps would be set and officers would visit his farm to observe the damage from pigs on his property and in neighbouring forest.
“They were surprised pigs were in this area,” Mr Gough said.
“They were supposed to come out and have a look, but I’ve heard nothing back after leaving many messages.”
In recent weeks Mr Gough and Hotspur hunter Wayne Rantall trapped and humanely disposed of nine feral pigs coming on to the Hotspur farm.
“They are worried about shooting horses in the high country, meanwhile they are letting feral pigs continue to build up here,” he said.
Due to the lack of response from Parks Victoria, Mr Gough and other farmers in the region are footing the bill to encircling their properties with electric fencing to keep the pigs from entering their farms from state parks.
“I want to know, what is the strategy from the Victorian government to control pigs; if a strategy exists it doesn’t seem to be in action in this area, I’m not convinced there is one at all.”
A DELWP spokesman said the department worked “together across several agencies and with local landowners and community groups to tackle feral pig management”.
He said Parks Victoria staff had recently been in contact with Mr Gough to discuss feral pig control and committed to meeting in-person at the next opportunity.
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