Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a farmer, I understand firsthand the impact that pest animals can have on the land, and I welcome the government's continued commitment to supporting farmers and land managers to manage established pest animals and weeds. The new $29.1 million investment will help protect native species from the significant threats which invasive pest animals and weeds present to our natural environment. They not only reduce agricultural productivity but also damage natural resources. The challenge that feral cats present to Australian wildlife was a matter explored recently by the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy, of which I'm a member, and the committee's recent report Tackling the feral cat pandemic: a plan to save Australian wildlife made a number of recommendations on how the impact of feral cats on our native wildlife and ecological communities can be managed.

Today I'd like to highlight a very successful program in the northern Tasmanian region of Bass, which I represent. Over the past 18 months, the West Tamar Landcare group, funded to the tune of $20,000 through the Communities Environment Program, have tackled the issue of cat predation on native wildlife and cats as vectors for diseases such as toxoplasmosis in the lower west Tamar region. I'd also like to note the contribution of West Tamar Council, NRM North, Tamar NRM and Cradle Coast Authority NRM, who have provided in-kind support for the project. The project area is situated at the mouth of the Tamar estuary and is an important breeding and habitat area for nationally listed fauna species, including the hooded plover, Tasmanian devil, spotted-tail quoll and eastern barred bandicoot. These species and other local wildlife such as wombats, native birds and globally migrating shorebirds are highly valued by local residents. The project undertook a combined strategy, which included working with West Tamar Council and the state government to promote responsible pet ownership; reminding owners to keep pet cats contained and safe; encouraging and providing incentives to residents of the project area to desex and microchip their cats; and running a coordinated trapping program in rural areas and Crown reserves, consistent with the Cat Management Act and the national guidelines for cage-trapping feral cats.

In short, the project, run over two seasons from December 2019 until this month, has trapped across the whole of the 6½ thousand hectare project area, including in national parks and reserves with appropriate consent; has removed close to 60 feral cats from farm and bushland areas, resulting in the protection of up to 6,000 native animals and birds from predation each year; has given the landcare group the opportunity to learn and share considerable expertise in humane and ethical trapping of animals and to generate associated community awareness; and has generated widespread support for the project and awareness of local native wildlife. The project has been a collaborative effort and has also given the West Tamar Landcare group the opportunity to build strong relationships with the West Tamar Council and NRM North. Through this partnership, the group have sought to have the project area declared a cat management area under the state Cat Management Act and to secure ongoing support for a continuation of the trapping program in future years.

One of the most pleasing results of the project was the discovery of Tasmanian devils, quolls and bandicoots in the project area, with the numbers of these animals trapped and released in the second year of trapping roughly double that in the first year. It's particularly pleasing to note that the Tasmanian devils trapped and released were all healthy and showed no visible tumours, and, as some devils were half grown, it indicates that breeding is occurring between healthy devils in the area. In addition to reports of improved lambing percentages, there has also been considerable anecdotal and actual evidence that the removal of cats has increased native animal and bird populations, including those of quolls and bandicoots, which Minister Ley and I were lucky enough to witness firsthand earlier this year in the Tamar region when two 12-week-old bandicoots were released back into the wild as part of the program, supported by $1.7 million in federal government funding, to protect the eastern barred bandicoot.

To ensure that the project has a sound legacy and ongoing community understanding and support, the project committee is now considering a further public education campaign around responsible cat ownership through public art activity and signage using public spaces and buildings in some of the key towns in the lower west Tamar area. This project is a perfect example of how government funding for community run and owned programs can make a tangible difference to the environment. I'd like to thank Peter Voller, Vanessa Bleyer, Greg Squires, Jane Shapter and all those involved in the project for their fantastic work. Can the minister expand on how the federal government is supporting these on-ground efforts to fight the significant impacts of feral animals and weeds?

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