NP99
2nd July 2014, 05:14 PM
Federal MP Bob Katter says the feral pig population in north Queensland could explode after state and federal funding cuts resulted in the removal of control programs.
Mr Katter is seeking an urgent meeting with Environment Minister Greg Hunt in an attempt to secure funding after locals warned of the environmental havoc being caused by feral pigs.
Feral pigs are a scourge on the northern Queensland landscape, damaging the environment, fouling freshwater ecosystems and destroying agricultural land.
The integrated feral pig program has removed 7,000 pigs from an area covering more than 180,000 hectares in the past seven years.
The Cassowary Coast Council says it can no longer afford to run the program after the funding cuts and is warning of "catastrophic" consequences.
"Without this program our region is going to be hit extremely hard," said councillor Mark Nolan.
"A big part of the population breed in national parks and they border with cane and banana land, so councils are now going to be asked to fund the program along with land owners.
"But in real terms, it's going to be a much diminished program and the damage to the environment will be catastrophic. There's no doubt about that."
Parks and Wildlife Service says onus on farmers
Hinchinbrook Council is facing similar cutbacks to its feral pig control program, despite reducing economic losses to the sugar industry from $1.2 million to less than $500,000.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service executive director Jason Jacobi says the department cut funding to the program because pig removal is the individual farmers' responsibility.
"They're in the cane farms and breeding there because that's where the food source is," he said.
"Sure there are pigs in our national parks and that's why instead of spending our money on cane farms I intend to invest in eradicating pigs from national parks.
"Each landholder is responsible for removing pests from their own lands. I can't justify propping up a program anymore on land that is not ours to deal with.
"If this is such an important issue for the sugar cane industry and if in fact it is saving millions of dollars in productivity, then where is the sugar cane industry? Why aren't they at the table providing funding?"
Feral pigs causing huge problems: Katter
Mr Katter says the feral pig population is causing "tremendous problems".
"I've been to meetings where 5 and 10 per cent of the sugar cane crop has been taken by feral pigs. They're harboured in our national parks and our World Heritage areas," he said.
"It's all very well for the Government to say: 'Well, we're going to take all this land and all the rights over this land off you' - the people that live there in north Queensland - 'We're going to take it all over but of course, we're not going to look after it'."
Mr Hunt says while funding for the original feral pig control schemes has lapsed, other programs are now available for councils to apply for.
"This week I am visiting north Queensland and I will be announcing the first of the feral pig eradication funding," he said.
"The previous government cut [the funding].
"We have not just reinstated it but we have added a total of $7 million jointly between the Commonwealth and Queensland governments, because frankly these feral pigs rampage through wildlife and do enormous damage to Australian native species."
But Mr Nolan says they feel abandoned by the Government, and says native wildlife is under threat.
"Cassowaries could be wiped out by this decision," he said.
"They're already a threatened species and with the wild pig population exploding, they're going to get in and ravage their nests, eat their eggs and we got a lot of cassowary adults that get struck by cars.
"The impact of this decision, plus motor vehicle strikes will see, I believe, a huge impact on the population of cassowaries.
"We might have to change the name of our region in the near future because that's a real threat to us."
Mr Katter is seeking an urgent meeting with Environment Minister Greg Hunt in an attempt to secure funding after locals warned of the environmental havoc being caused by feral pigs.
Feral pigs are a scourge on the northern Queensland landscape, damaging the environment, fouling freshwater ecosystems and destroying agricultural land.
The integrated feral pig program has removed 7,000 pigs from an area covering more than 180,000 hectares in the past seven years.
The Cassowary Coast Council says it can no longer afford to run the program after the funding cuts and is warning of "catastrophic" consequences.
"Without this program our region is going to be hit extremely hard," said councillor Mark Nolan.
"A big part of the population breed in national parks and they border with cane and banana land, so councils are now going to be asked to fund the program along with land owners.
"But in real terms, it's going to be a much diminished program and the damage to the environment will be catastrophic. There's no doubt about that."
Parks and Wildlife Service says onus on farmers
Hinchinbrook Council is facing similar cutbacks to its feral pig control program, despite reducing economic losses to the sugar industry from $1.2 million to less than $500,000.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service executive director Jason Jacobi says the department cut funding to the program because pig removal is the individual farmers' responsibility.
"They're in the cane farms and breeding there because that's where the food source is," he said.
"Sure there are pigs in our national parks and that's why instead of spending our money on cane farms I intend to invest in eradicating pigs from national parks.
"Each landholder is responsible for removing pests from their own lands. I can't justify propping up a program anymore on land that is not ours to deal with.
"If this is such an important issue for the sugar cane industry and if in fact it is saving millions of dollars in productivity, then where is the sugar cane industry? Why aren't they at the table providing funding?"
Feral pigs causing huge problems: Katter
Mr Katter says the feral pig population is causing "tremendous problems".
"I've been to meetings where 5 and 10 per cent of the sugar cane crop has been taken by feral pigs. They're harboured in our national parks and our World Heritage areas," he said.
"It's all very well for the Government to say: 'Well, we're going to take all this land and all the rights over this land off you' - the people that live there in north Queensland - 'We're going to take it all over but of course, we're not going to look after it'."
Mr Hunt says while funding for the original feral pig control schemes has lapsed, other programs are now available for councils to apply for.
"This week I am visiting north Queensland and I will be announcing the first of the feral pig eradication funding," he said.
"The previous government cut [the funding].
"We have not just reinstated it but we have added a total of $7 million jointly between the Commonwealth and Queensland governments, because frankly these feral pigs rampage through wildlife and do enormous damage to Australian native species."
But Mr Nolan says they feel abandoned by the Government, and says native wildlife is under threat.
"Cassowaries could be wiped out by this decision," he said.
"They're already a threatened species and with the wild pig population exploding, they're going to get in and ravage their nests, eat their eggs and we got a lot of cassowary adults that get struck by cars.
"The impact of this decision, plus motor vehicle strikes will see, I believe, a huge impact on the population of cassowaries.
"We might have to change the name of our region in the near future because that's a real threat to us."