The Greens have called on the NSW government to stop protecting deer as a hunting resource and instead declare feral deer a pest.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Greens’ NSW agriculture spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham wants the government to develop a state-wide control and eradication strategy.
“Feral deer are the most significant emerging pest animal threat in NSW, causing major ecological and agricultural impacts, and the Greens want them to be declared a pest in line with feral pigs, rabbits, locusts, wild dogs and foxes,” Mr Buckingham said.
“In 2012, under pressure from the Shooters and Fishers Party, the NSW government passed special regulations related to deer hunting which deliberately hampered feral deer control and eradication efforts at the expense of agriculture and the environment. These changes included the imposition of bag limits, a deer season, and the prohibition of hunting at night and bans on shooting from a vehicle or with a spotlight.
“The government has backed the Shooters and Fishers Party in their desire to keep our forests stocked full of targets regardless of the environmental or agricultural cost. The Greens do not want to see our state become a private game park.
“Feral deer are a serious agricultural pest as they consume and damage crops and stock feed, compete with livestock, damage fences and lead to an increase in the population of wild dogs. They are also a biosecurity nightmare as they spread weeds and pathogens such as foot and mouth disease,” Mr Buckingham said.
“The environmental damage feral deer cause has led to their recognition as a key threatening process under the Threatened Species Conservation Act as they cause serious damage to native plant species and ecological communities, primarily by browsing, grazing and antler rubbing.
“Currently we do not even know with any certainty what the numbers and extent of feral deer are in NSW, and as a priority a state-wide census of deer numbers should be conducted,” Mr Buckingham said.
Greens candidate for Upper Hunter, John Kaye said: “Instead of the current ad hoc and ineffective amateur hunting regime in NSW, the Greens support the development of professional deer control and eradication programs to protect the environment and agriculture”.
“Deer are a major pest species in Upper Hunter particularly on the fringe of the Wollemi National Park and this initiative will ensure that our local ecology and agriculture are protected from their impacts,” Mr Kaye said.