Invasive species are one of the most significant threats to Australia’s flora and fauna causing significant damage to natural ecosystems as well as impacting on agricultural production.
They are costing the world $423bn every year and have become a leading threat to the diversity of life on Earth, a report by the United Nations has warned.
The Granite Belt is not immune from these impacts. Significant animal pests in this region include pigs, goats, deer, rabbits and feral cats while invasive weeds such as love grass, Coolatai grass, prickly pear and blackberry are widespread. The area’s high biodiversity values makes it particularly important to try and control these pests and lessen their impacts.
In 2017, the Southern Downs Regional Council adopted an Invasive Pests Strategic Plan and in 2019 developed an Invasive Pest Control Scheme to encourage landholders to identify and manage pests on their properties. Despite this scheme proving effective and winning an award from the Invasive Species Council, a subsequent Council watered it down by removing the onus on landholders to control pests. The lack of effective compliance measures contributes to invasive species continuing to flourish.
The Strategic Plan expired last year and a new plan needs to be adopted that more effectively addresses these critical issues. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, the Council and landholders are obliged to manage and regulate invasive pests. Failure to do so will only result in continued impacts on the environment and on agricultural production. A new draft Strategic Plan, scheduled to be released later this year, will provide an opportunity to introduce more effective measures to tackle the scourge of invasive species.
Of particular concern is the impact of cats on our wildlife. In Australia, feral and domestic cats have been estimated to kill over 3 billion species of native birds and animals each year. Many local councils have adopted strict control measures to try and limit the impacts of domestic cats and reduce the populations of feral cats. These measures include compulsory registration and desexing, curfews and cat confinement laws.
To try and raise community awareness about better control measures, GBSAN is organising a community forum on Saturday 23 August to discuss the impacts of cats and outline better control measures. It will be held at the Granite Belt Retreat on Glenlyon Drive starting at 1pm and will feature Reece Pianta from the Invasive Species Council and Councillor Sarah Deane who will talk about what measures the Council is taking. Anyone concerned about the impacts of cats and how they can be more effectively managed is encouraged to attend.
