Wildlife control needed

THE significant growth of irrigated agriculture across much of Tasmania’s arable land has seen a dramatic growth in high quality pastures and high value crops.

In turn these have produced an abundant feed source for wildlife, whose population has increased accordingly.

Visible evidence of the rise in wildlife numbers is the increase in roadkill, evidenced by the significant increase in vehicle insurance claims for collisions with wildlife reported by insurers AAMI and RACT. 

Wildlife are spreading from Crown land to agricultural land and onto the roads.

In 2020, we conducted a survey of our members to gauge the extent of wildlife damage to farming operations. 

Combining the value of lost production with the costs of control, the cost incurred by the 250 members who took part totalled more than $9 million per year.

The most numerous problem species reported were Bennetts and rufous wallaby, brushtail possum, feral cats, sulphur crested cockatoo, crows and deer. 

Other species, more areaspecific, included Forester kangaroo, rabbits, hares, ducks, swans and wombats. 

The recently reported figures regarding Property Protection Permits for 2023 reveal the ongoing extent and scale of the issue and reflect the numbers that primary producers are dealing with. 

For example, more than 300,000 Bennetts wallaby, over 200,000 rufous wallaby and over 100,000 brushtail possums taken in that one year. 

From those numbers, the value of the crops and pastures those animals would have consumed equates to nearly $12 million. 

It is noted that not all of the permits reported would have been for agricultural purposes, and many of the permits issued for lesser species would have been single, one-off entities.

TasFarmers is currently working with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to devise and implement a more comprehensive approach to reducing the impact of wildlife damage. 

Additional measures being considered include rebates for game fencing, which costs up to $15,000 per kilometre, access to baiting systems with less “offtarget” damage, and working with local governments to enforce better control of feral cats.

For Tasmania to continue to produce high quality food, fibre and pharmaceuticals, be it meat, vegetables, grain, milk, hemp, poppies or timber, we will have to continue to manage our wildlife in a sustainable manner. 

That requires a range of options, including population control.