Destruction of land by feral deer has cost farmers millions of dollars, leading Tallangatta Valley Landcare to make a passionate plea to the federal government to stop ignoring the problem.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a submission to the Senate’s “Inquiry into Feral Deer, Feral Pigs and Feral Goats”, the group passed on the “deep concerns” of its members over the destruction of their land by both deer and illegal hunters.
One local landholder even said illegal hunters were akin to “armed home invaders”.
“A farm is a farmer’s home, yet for passionate farmers, their land is akin to their soul and what affects their land, affects them,” the submission stated.
“They care about leaving a legacy for future generations that they can be proud of, but are very disheartened to see their efforts hijacked by the political process that should be seeking to save the land not destroy it.”
The Landcare group called for hunting regulations to be the same in all states, as NSW hunters were coming across the border to Victoria.
“No more of this ‘easier to go to Victoria and hunt because the NSW requirements are more stringent’,” the submission stated.
“We believe that the safety of the general public from hunters must be improved.”
They wanted protection to involve surveillance of hunters on public land by tracking their GPS location and requiring them to log their hunts.
“Feral deer do not need managing for sustainable hunting, they need extermination, as far as is practically possible,” the submission stated.
“To call deer a ‘game’ species is a misnomer, they are a destructive, invasive feral pest species that are multiplying out of control.”
The Landcare group worries deer would move further into farmland.
Wild Game Resources Australia business development manager Brett Conibear gave evidence at an inquiry hearing last week, saying professional hunters working in Tallangatta Valley during the past months were welcomed after they shot 19 animals in a night.
“A 10-animal night is probably about $500 to the landholder, so it's fantastic for the local economy,” he said.
“Farmers are getting a problem removed, and they're also getting paid for the privilege of having our shooters come on.
“They just think it's the best thing they've ever heard of.”
- Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here
