An alliance of leading environment and farming groups has welcomed the appointment of Ben Carroll as Victoria’s Premier, saying it’s an exciting opportunity to reset Victoria’s approach to invasive species management through a coordinated, well-funded strategy that matches the scale of the problem.
The Invasive Species Council, the Victorian Farmers Federation and Environment Victoria are collectively calling on all parties ahead of the November state election to commit to stronger action on the state’s growing environmental challenges, from the feral deer crisis to strengthening Victoria’s environmental biosecurity.
The organisations are calling on the Carroll Government to:
- fully fund and implement the Victorian Deer Control Strategy
- remove the protection of deer in the Wildlife Act and declare them a pest species
- commit to eradicating deer in Western Victoria while numbers remain low.
‘Premier Carroll has a real opportunity to put Victoria on a stronger footing by backing the coordinated, science-based management needed to tackle invasive species at the scale the problem demands,’ Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough said.
‘Fully funding the Victorian Deer Control Strategy, removing the outdated protection for feral deer and committing to eradicate deer from western Victoria would be a major step towards protecting regional communities, farms and our natural environment.
‘We look forward to working constructively with the Carroll Government because farmers, conservationists and community advocates all recognise the current approach isn’t working. We’ve come together to call for the coordinated action and investment needed to protect Victoria’s environment, agriculture and communities from invasive species.’
Victorian Farmers Federation President Brett Hosking said:
‘Feral deer wreak havoc on crops and pasture, smash fencing and destroy orchards and vineyards, leaving farmers to pick up a costly bill.
‘They pose a serious biosecurity risk to our multi-billion dollar agriculture industry.
‘It beggars belief that these destructive animals are still legally classified as protected wildlife species, even though they are an introduced animal.
‘It’s overdue that the Victorian government treated this as a biosecurity issue and not a wildlife management issue.’
Environment Victoria CEO Jono La Nauze said:
‘As a society, we unleashed invasive species on the environment and now we have to take responsibility for the devastation they have driven.
‘Across Victoria, we’re seeing invasive plants and animals degrading forests, rivers and grasslands, while also damaging farms and putting pressure on rural communities.
‘The science on invasive species is clear – if we want to protect nature, we need sustained investment, coordinated action and people on the ground doing the work.’
Media inquiries: (02) 8006 5004
Image: Trish Punch
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