Managing Pest Animals and Plants

Pest plants and animals are major causes of ongoing land degradation and their control is fundamental to sustainable land management. Weeds and pest animals are some of the biggest threats to Australia’s biodiversity and also a major cost to nations the agricultural sector valued at over $3.3 billion per year.

 

As a community we need to manage existing pests and restrict their further spread, while being prepared for new threats from exotic incursions, if further losses in productivity and our environment are to be protected and if the degradation of the past is to be repaired.

 

Pest animals and pest plants threaten the full potential, sustainability and benefits of:

•         Agricultural, pastoral, industrial or public enterprises;

•         Conservation and biodiversity; and

•         The health and safety of people.

 

The Eyre Peninsula NRM Board invests funding and employs staff (Authorised Officers) to ensure pest animals and plants are managed and controlled effectively. The Board delivers region-wide strategic programs for agricultural and environmental weeds inspections, integrated pest management and scientific investigations.

 

Authorised Officers work with the local community to implement pest animal control programs such as rabbit and fox baiting, provide technical advice and assistance to landholders, enforce policies where necessary and determine regional and state-wide policies for pest management.

 

The Eyre Peninsula NRM Board has the responsibility to control pest plants and animals according to the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (NRM Act). Authorised Officers are employed across the region to carry out projects and activities in partnership with the community to fulfil this responsibility. 

The introduction of new pests is an ever-present problem and the prevention of new incursions is a major focus for NRM Boards in South Australia. Early identification and eradication programs are required to effectively address this problem. Non-proclaimed pests are also potential threats to agriculture and the environment but are not covered by the existing legislation. NRM Boards can, and do, consider non-proclaimed plants and animals during their Risk Assessment Process.

Certain areas of the Eyre Penisula region have wide spread infestations of various pest plants or animals. Such infestations are difficult and expensive to control. Varying opinions of landholders about whether they should be actively controlled or not and the perception of some community members that the NRM Board is doing nothing makes it difficult for the Eyre Peninsula NRM Board to set objective policies.

Restrictions on 1080

Use of 1080 poison is currently being reviewed at the national level. There is potential to have the poison banned, which will seriously compromise pest control programs as there is no alternative poisons. NRM Boards have the responsibility to ensure they handle 1080 in a safe manner and to educate landholders to do the same.

Communication & Education

Awareness programs are a critical part of animal and plant control.  The Eyre Peninsula NRM Board have a responsibility to educate the community about pest issues and landholder responsibilities to control pests. These awareness activities acheive a greater understanding amoung landholders and consequently result in greater compliance with Board policies and programs. Communication with the NRM Board is also vital to ensure accurate information is shared.

Change of Landuse

Change of land use can exacerbate pest problems. Long term pasture may mask weed problems as the grazing regime effectively controls the weeds. However, if this same paddock was to be cropped the disturbance of the soil would result in a significant increase in weeds. Different land uses also have implications for the methods and ease of spreading weeds.

The trend towards small farms or rural living blocks near urban areas (peri-urban) around Eyre Peninsula presents different problems for pest control as the use of chemicals comes under greater scrutiny. The ability to carry out pest control activities on these small holdings may be affected because chemical sensitive enterprises lake aquaculture and grape growing may impact on control techniques used on adjoining properties.

On the other end of the scale, large broad acre holdings on Eyre Peninsula requiring less people-power to operate them due to efficiencies of machinery, may hinder some pest control programs as there may not be enough personnel or time for managers to carry out regular control programs.

It is important for officers to be aware of change of ownership of land and its use, in order to contact the new owners to discuss historical pest issues that they may need to be aware of.