Dear Deer

By Des Dugan

It costs around $22m a year to manage pests and the annual economic impact of pest animals in NSW is conservatively estimated to be $170m.

Add to these statistics the estimate that pest animals affect 40% of all listed threatened species and you have a major rural economic problem.

The draft findings by the Natural Resources Commission cover pests that have long been causing problems for landholders such as wild dogs, pigs, foxes and rabbits.

Now the locals want the government to include deer in the “pest” category and despite the antecdotal evidence rangers can not just re-classify them with the stroke of a pen.

The National Resources Commission needs to have good reason for putting wild animals into the rifle sights of farmers rather than have them categorised as “game animals”.

They need to be sure they are a “pest”.

“We need hard evidence to treat them as pests,” organiser with the Local Land Services, Bronwyn Cameron told scone.com.au.

Hence the move to solicit comments in an electronic questionnaire.

The organisation has realised not everyone sits online so now it is about to embark on a random ring-around using selected postcodes and hold public meetings.

“We need to manage the risks and impacts from all invasive species and that means treating feral deer and feral cats as pests just like wild pigs and dogs,” Dr John Keniry, Natural Resources Commissioner, said.

“Sound policy and consistent regulation is important,” he said.

“This also needs to be underpinned by game changing control methods such as biocontrol for rabbits and carp,” said Dr Keniry.

The decision on rule changing from “game animal” to “pest” has to be before the NSW Government by the end of June.

Public meetings are being held around NSW to provide local “communities and stakeholders further opportunity to have input to pest animal management reform.”

Details can be found the  Natural Resources Commission website: Pest Management Review Meetings.

The closest meeting is tomorrow in Tamworth.

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