- PO Box 302 Bungendore NSW 2621
- © The District Bulletin 2024
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IN NSW, UNDER the umbrella of the National Party portfolio of Primary Industries (Niall Blair, Minister) the Local Land Services agency — which reaches out to all landholders — is the primary promoter of lethal management of animals considered pests by farmers.
Besides targeting (undifferentiated) wild dogs that include dingoes as well as foxes and other feral animals, lethal management includes the current intensified, unsupervised destruction of macropods — kangaroo species, under this government. Local Land Services, which falls under the Primary Industries portfolio, is the liaison agency that has started recruiting recreational shooters onto regional properties to kill the wildlife.
Meanwhile, Local Land Services’ fox and wild dog program is badged as “Biosecurity – Nil tenure”, which appears to mean the community should come together to wipe out whatever farmers consider pests. Its “feral fighters” program is held up as the nil-tenure model to follow. The agency explained its assumptions that everyone must agree and what ‘nil tenure’ means in a recent newsletter to landholders:
“Nil tenure is when we all work together, private and public land mangers alike, to manage a specific pest or disease. Group control gives a far greater impact on the target species than individual, uncoordinated efforts.
“A nil-tenure approach means that responsibility, control activity and cost for pest animal management is shared across the community, with everyone required to play their part.
“A fantastic example of nil tenure in the South East is the Feral Fighter groups. Here, communities come together to target foxes/wild dogs through coordinated baiting campaigns, supported by Local Land Services.
“Pest animal campaigns are planned around seasonal conditions and involve operations including ground baiting and/or aerial baiting, trapping or shooting on private and/or public land.”
(Image Source: Animal Liberation)