Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 1:18:35 to 1:26:56
The committee examines the management of feral pigs, deer, and wild dogs, focusing on their economic impact on agriculture. Discussion highlights the need for federal-state coordination and the role of national coordinators in pest management.
Topics: Land management, Biosecurity, Government spending
Speakers: Justine Saunders, Senator Ross Cadell, Allison Jones, Unknown Speaker, Victoria Anderson
>> I'll go a little bit. >> Um, just on wild dog coordinator >> or lack thereof. I don't know where we sit there. I think it was due to last in May it was winding up in September.
>> No, funding's been continued, Senator. So, the role will continue at least into the stage through till um October 2027. So I should say there's actually been ongoing investment both in one in the coordinator um which is industry funded um through September 27 and then we've extended our funding at the comwalth level which is 200,000 for deliver >> till November 27
>> through AWI
>> I think MLA senator is that right
>> MLAord coordinator
that's good because we were wondering what's going on there. So, it's still industry funded about 250 grand a year. Do we know how much
>> and the quantum cost but the coordinator is extending?
>> Um that was a very quick session because we just wanted to know where that was. I had all sorts of questions if they weren't there given 32 million. Um >> when we get to feral animals and I know that's the only one that's industry funded. You fund rabbits, pigs, there's a long list. What do you all the feral animals that you fund for pests >> coordinators?
>> Certainly, Senator, I'm happy to answer that question. >> So, we currently fund national coordination programs for the feral deer. So, that's a million million and four through to October 2027. Feral pigs just over a million to October 2027. Feral cats and foxes um 690,000 through to October 2027. Feral rabbits to December 2027.
Is that broken down by state or that's just general?
>> No, because we don't we don't fund the states directly. We fund through, you know, through the coordinator and then national activities as it relates to research and
>> given so much of the land management at New South Wales boy LLS's and stuff like that. Um we had a I took Senator Canavan to a farmer's place in the Hunter about two months a bit of a loose unit but um class D shooter 14,000 pigs is killed and there are still more pigs on the properties he shot than the state's had that management. I'm not blaming. What sort of how far can we look down? What can we do federally? What do we need to do to assist? because there are so many pests at the moment, but but pigs are a big one. Everyone's talking to me about pigs on the mainland.
>> We just recently funded an independent report um which looks at the action plan and the work that's underway and and my reading of that center was that the programs have in place are actually good programs. They haven't failed. But what it found that management is fragmented and there's insufficient coordination and you've got to have as we know it's a bit like riffer. You've got to have all stakeholders involved. You got to ensure that you can't have just one land owner dealing with a pig issue and then their >> Exactly right. So exactly exactly right. So what the report does which assists I think is it does inform some practical implementation activities. Um and so really what what it identified was that effective pig management requires all land managers as I said to participate regardless of tenure. It was also observed that there is weak compliance. Um and as you note though that the legislation is predominately administered by the states and territories. So we'll certainly be working through the coordinator to engage the states and territories because what you need is harmonization as much as possible because this is a national issue not just a jurisdictional one. But that's where the that's where the powers exist. >> Um and local participants key. Um so therefore increase support for local coordination facilitation. But the general message is the programs are there. Um we've just got to effectively deliver them through better coordination
on that understanding when we go forward on all these things and they are becoming do you have individual costs does or a bears or anyone model I know on wild dogs there was a quote of 302 million I think paraphrasing that that's the cost of do we have costs of animal by animal what they cost?
>> Um I do I'm not sure I've got every animal but let me so started with pigs. So, so feral pigs one of the Australia's most damaging established pest animals >> causing more than 156 million per year in agriculture losses and control costs.
>> I think it's low but anyway.
>> So that's when was that last updated? >> Um I take that on notice.
>> Yeah, fine.
>> Um if I can uh then in terms of other figures. So in terms of file deer estimated to cost Australian communities of primary producers $91 million a year and that was from 2023. I think they're the only figures I've currently got from my fingertips.
>> If if there's more on notice have them. If if there's not that's fine. The other ones I' like foxes, cats. Do you still do goats? Does goats still >> We're not. given that they're being harvested in increasingly big numbers out in parks and other places of the
>> Certainly at the Commonwealth level, we're not investing in goats currently.
>> Um, one of the interesting sides and an old saying that we used to have can't have good pest control if your neighbor doesn't have good pest control. >> In that study you mentioned about lack of code ordination. um boundaries uh farmers agricultural properties bound state forests, native uh national parks, these sorts of Did the report go into looking at what we can do on people who manage those to actually do better in their areas as
>> Well, once again, it's everyone has responsibility. Um and that once again what's important is that everyone takes responsibility for their land but working in partnership with with their neighbors in short. So and as you know we've there's been discussions about defense own land which is the responsibility department of defense and we do know that defense works very closely with with neighboring land holders and relevant jurisdictions to manage the risk as it relates to their land and neighboring properties. Well
>> given defense lost the war with the emuse I'm not sure we're going to send the list on the rest of the ferals. Um it is increasingly frustrating for for landholders that they can do so much on their own properties and like we said that shifts and moves they come over. >> Um is there a what sort of ministerial coordination you spoke about lack of coation? Are you working on plans to improve that harmonization?
>> Certainly um but certainly working through the coordinators is the key mechanism. We've put them in place for a reason. They look at the issue through a national lens. Um I certainly had took the opportunity to meet with the coordinators as a cohort because there's much to be learned from the work of of different coordinators and the different species. Whilst there are some differences, there are also some common commonalities in terms of principles and general approaches. So we certainly intend to work more closely with the coordinators going forward and as we identify issues that are of a national significance, we'll certainly elevate it through our governance arrangements through to ministers.
>> I might just jump um uh Allison Jones, acting uh chief environmental bio security officer with a couple more of those figures on the cost. So uh for wild dogs it was 302 million per year. For wild rabbits it was 197 million per year. Feral pigs was 156 million per year. Feral deer was 91 million per year. and European foxes and feral cats wereund $198 million per year.
>> So wild dogs are the still the biggest impact on agriculture.
>> Yeah, that's correct.
>> Right. Okay. Thank you, Chair.