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Murray I Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan1.6 Roles and responsibilities Under the new Biosecurity Act 2015 framework, biosecurity is a shared responsibility where Government,industry and the people of NSW work together to protect the economy, environment and community fromthe impacts of pest animals. Public, private and aboriginal land managers all have a shared and equal responsibility to eliminate andminimise biosecurity risks across land in NSW. A key focus of the RSPAMP is to encourage engagement and participation across all land tenures to enhancethe participation and delivery of coordinated pest animal management activities for improved outcomes. Government plays a key role in coordination and regulation for pest animal management under the legislativeframework. NSW DPI have a lead role in managing terrestrial and freshwater aquatic pest incursions. LocalLand Services supports the delivery of pest animal management activities and also have a regulatory role underthe NSW Biosecurity Act 2015.The following outlines the role of the Regional and State Pest Animal Committee in the delivery of the RSPAMP.For more information on key roles and responsibilities in pest animal management, please refer to the Invasive SpeciesPlan 2018-2021.State Pest Animal CommitteeThe State Pest Animal Committee (SPAC) is responsible for overseeing a consistent approach to the ongoingoperation of RPACs and development of tenure neutral RSPAMPs across the State. SPAC oversee key policy andstrategy documents to guide pest animal management outcomes across the state.Regional Pest Animal CommitteesRegional Pest Animal Committees (RPACs) facilitate tenure neutral strategic planning and coordination for prioritypest animal management programs in each Local Land Services (LLS) region. RPACs have an important role to playin the delivery of the RSPAMP through promoting land manager and general community involvement in detectingand reporting sightings of new or ‘unusual’ animals in the local area as well as managing established pest animals.RPACs play an important role in the ongoing periodic review and adaption of the plan as required.1.7 Incursion management and alert speciesWe need to work together to ensure early detection and awareness of incursions and alert species are able to bemanaged swiftly and effectively. It is important the community remain vigilant and report any unusual sightings toensure a rapid management response.The NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 outlines species that are prohibited from being kept in NSW.Land managers and community members play a major role in reporting any unusual sightings of pest animals in theregion.6

ALERT SPECIES FOR THE MURRAY REGIONIf you see any of the species listed below or any other unusual animals, please contact the Invasive Plants andAnimals Enquiry line: 1800 680 244. Chital deer Hog deer Rusa deer American corn snake.If you see any of the species listed below or any other unusual aquatics, please contact the Aquatic Pests andDiseases Hotline: 1800 675 888 or email aquatic.pests@dpi.nsw.gov.au. Red-eared slider turtle Mozambique tilapia.Top row (l-r): Chital deer, hog deer, rusa deer.Bottom row (l-r): American corn snake, red-eared slider turtle, Mozambique tilapia.Photographs courtesy NSW Department of Primary IndustriesThe following mechanisms can be used to report unusual situations in the region: Invasive Plants and Animals Enquiry Line: 1800 680 244For species that are yet to become widely established in NSW, the initial response to incursion reports is managedthrough consultation between DPI, Local Land Services and OEH. Where species are widely established in NSWbut have spread into a new region, Local Land Services and the RPAC will consider whether local eradication orcontainment should be attempted.7

2. Guiding principles of pest animalmanagementThe following principles should be considered and implemented by all community, industry, landholdersand other stakeholders in pest animal management.Be alertMonitor and report sightings of any species you have not seen in your area before. Prevention and earlyintervention from the community is important to avoid the establishment of new pest animal species.Work together and participatePest animal management is a shared responsibility between landholders, community, industry and Governmentand requires a coordinated approach across a range of scales and land tenures.Be committedEffective pest animal management requires ongoing commitment by land managers, community, Governmentand industry. Those that create the risks associated with pest species and those that benefit from the pest animalmanagement outcomes should help to minimise impacts and contribute to the costs associated with managementStay up-to-dateCommunity, industry, government and landholders should stay up-to-date with new information to ensure thatcontemporary best practice pest animal management activities are employed to reduce pest animal impacts in away that is as safe, effective, target-specific and humane as possible.8

Murray I Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan3. Our regionThe NSW Murray Local Land Services region covers a land surface area of over 42,000 km2. Bordered by the MurrayRiver in the south, the region’s landforms and vegetation communities range from Australia’s highest alpine peaks andslopes, forests, and grassy woodlands and grasslands of the South West Slopes region to the semi-arid woodlands andvast grasslands and scrublands of the Riverina Plains.Agricultural industries are diverse, including irrigated and dryland cropping, livestock grazing, and dairy production,with an estimated one-third of the region’s community involved directly in agricultural enterprises. Extensive irrigationnetworks and the Snowy Hydro-Electric Scheme supply water to low rainfall areas. The region contains significantenvironmental assets such as the Central Murray state forests Ramsar sites.Factors that currently influence pest animal management within the Murray region include restricted resourcesavailable for pest management, changes in farming practices (grazing to cropping), absentee land managers andsmall-scale farms, urban areas and public places with limited control options. Management of wild deer and feral catsis limited by a lack of control methods currently available for these species.The Murray region borders Riverina, Western and South Eastern Local Land Services regions as well as Victoria.Inter-regional co-operative programs are already in place for wild dogs (annual aerial baiting program) and feral pigs(Western Riverina Feral Pig Program) with both the Riverina and Western regions. While the Great Dividing Rangeand the Murray River present significant physical barriers to the South East region and Victoria, local managementplans bordering these areas will consider possible cross-boundary pest management in conjunction with relevantstakeholders and agencies. The existing tristate partnership, comprising NSW, Victorian and South Australian regionalnatural resource management organisations, provides an excellent vehicle for inter-state cooperation on emergingcross-border pest animal issues e.g. Common carp control developments.Murray Local Land Services regionThe pest animal distribution maps in this planare based on statewide data compiled in 2016from reports submitted and gathered. Themaps are at a coarse scale and provide generalguidance only about pest animal distribution.A key priority for future implementation of thisplan will be to improve reporting of pest animalsto refine regional information collected on pestanimal distribution and relative abundance.Improved information on distribution andabundance will better guide management andinvestment and assess effectiveness9

Murray I Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan4. Managing our pest animalsThe following section details the management categories that should be used to minimise and mitigate the impactpest animals have on the community, environment and primary industries.Pest animals in Murray region have been prioritised based on this framework.Management CategoryOverview GOAL: To prevent the pest animal species arriving and establishing in the Regioncausing adverse impacts on the environment, society and the economy. RESPONSIBILITY: To understand and report any sightings of alert species. GOAL: To permanently remove the species from the State or Region and todevelop actions to prevent its re-establishment. RESPONSIBILITY: To participate in coordinated programs and stayup-to-date with current information on pest animals in the region. GOAL: To prevent the spread of the pest animal species onto other parts of theState or Region. RESPONSIBILITY: To participate in coordinated programs, stayup-to-date and apply best practice pest animal management practices. GOAL: To reduce the impact of widespread pest animals on key assets with higheconomic, environmental and social value. RESPONSIBILITY: To participate in coordinated programs, stayup-to-date and apply best practice pest animal management practices. Ensurepractices are coordinated with the wider community. GOAL: Applies only to species that have a low to negligible risk in the region orfor which further investigation is required on effective control techniques andstrategies for management. RESPONSIBILITY: Stay up-to-date with current Asset Based ProtectionLimited ActionFurther reading and best practice guidelines for pest animal management may be foundat:PestSmart Connect (by Centre for Invasive Species Solutions)https://www.pestsmart.org.auNSW Department of Primary ide-manualMeat and Livestock ive-animalsAustralian Wool Innovation est-animals10

5. Our priority pest speciesPest animals for the Murray region have been prioritised based on level of risk and feasibility of control assessedthrough prioritisation guidelines using the South Australian prioritisation tool.Priority species listed below have been categorised into management categories and further strategies and actions aredetailed.Table 1.1: Species listed in this plan.Common NameManagement CategoryEuropeanfoxAsset based protectionFeral catAsset based protectionSectionin Plan5.1Reduce the impacts of foxes on agricultural production andcritical threatened species.Prevent the spread of disease.5.2Reduce the impacts to critical threatened species, sites to beidentified in localised project plans.Reduce the impacts to agricultural production.Promote responsible pet ownership.Containment – AlburyCity Council localgovernment areaFeral goatFeral pigAsset-based protection –excluding the Albury CityCouncil local governmentareaAsset based protectionObjective5.3Reduce the impacts of feral goats on agriculturalproduction, threatened species and ecological communitieswithin the Albury City Council local government area.Reduce the impacts of feral goats on agricultural productionand the environment.5.4Reduce the impacts of feral pigs on agricultural production,threatened species and ecological communities.Prevent the spread of disease.Prevent further establishment of all wild deer species.Wild deerAsset-based protectionWild dogAsset-based protection- east of the Humehighway5.55.6Reduce the impacts of wild deer on agricultural production,threatened species and ecological communities.Reduce the impacts of wild dogs on agricultural production eastof the Hume highway.Ensure current wild dog management plans are in place.Eradication - west of theHume highwayEradicate.Wild horseAsset-based protection5.7Land managers to manage wild horses in line with theircurrent wild horse management plans, policies and/orobjectives to reduce impacts on agricultural production, theenvironment, threatened species and/or public safety.WildrabbitAsset based protection5.8Reduce the impacts of rabbits on agricultural production,threatened species and ecological communities and culturalheritage.CommoncarpLimited action5.9Support coordinated biological control programs.HousemouseWatch list5.10Monitor numbers and promote best practice control11

5.1 Species - European foxEuropean foxes are widespread across the Murray region.As an established species that impacts on agriculturalproduction and conservation lands, land managersshould take all reasonable steps to suppress and destroythe population. Coordinated group fox baiting programsare well established within the Murray region. Theseprograms provide land managers with technical support,training, access to fox baits and advice on best practicecontrol options for fox populations.European foxBarriers to effective control of fox populations are:changes in farming practices (grazing to cropping),absentee land managers, landholding aggregation, urbanareas (public places - limited control options).Major sheep-producing areas, Ramsar wetlands and othersites with significant environmental and cultural heritagewill be prioritised for assessment of the need for thedevelopment of local management plans.ObjectiveReduce theimpacts onagriculturalproductionand criticalthreatenedspeciesReduce therisk of thespread ofdiseaseIncreasethe numberof in tegoryMurrayregionAsset basedprotectionAssets(whererelevant)Murray Local Land Services (2018). Pest distribution animal data hasbeen sourced from NSW Government agencies and collated by theNSW Department of Primary Industries in 2016.ActivitiesParticipantsTimeframeLivestock –sheep, goats,farmed enedspeciesPrimaryGround baitingFox exclusionfencingPrepare andimplement local foxmanagement plansLand managersFox baiting groupsCommunity basedgroupsLocal Land ServicesAutumn &spring eachyearOngoingSupplementaryGround shootingLand managersOngoingImprovecommunityparticipationin key areasTargetedcommunicationsE-newslettersMedia coverageSocial mediaCommunitymeetingsLand managersLocal Land ServicesCommunity basedgroupsOngoing

Murray I Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan5.2 Species – Feral catFeral cats are established and widespread across theMurray region. The species poses significant risk to theenvironment and the potential for disease transmissionto livestock. Feral cats have been identified as a specieswarranting coordination with local government toprogress control strategies.Feral catThe aim of the plan is to raise awareness of the impactsof feral cats on the environment, to work collaborativelywith stakeholders to implement effective cat controlprograms and to encourage the community to embraceresponsible cat ownership.Community engagement, surveillance and reportingwill be key focus areas for future feral cat management.The restricted number of control methods availableis a significant limiting factor to effective feral catmanagement.ObjectiveReduce theimpactsto criticalthreatenedspecies.Reduce theimpacts toagriculturalproductionIncrease theawareness ofthe negativeimpacts of feralcatsImproveresponsible petownershipMurray Local Land Services (2018). Pest distribution animal data hasbeen sourced from NSW Government agencies and collated by theNSW Department of Primary Industries in 2016.Programname/areaManagementcategoryAssets vestock(farmed birds,small ppingExplore newmanagementoptionsAdvocate fornew targetedcat toxinsExclusionfencingLand managersFeral catmanagement groupmembersLocal gove

The Murray region is impacted by a number of pest animal species that require coordinated and targeted control. This plan has been prepared by the Murray Regional Pest Animal Management Committee, a sub-committee of Murray Local Land Services with membership representing farmers, the community, environmental groups and government land managers.