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DISCUSSION PAPER – PEST ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Introduction Pest animals are a problem across Australia. In most cases pest animals are well established and eradication is practically impossible. Pest authorities have found that it is better to prevent an animal establishing itself in an area than trying to control it after establishment. For Wollongong, populations of rabbits, deer, foxes, goats, and cats are well established and unlikely to be eradicated. For other animals such as wild pigs and dogs, the community can inform Council if they are emerging as an issue. The Vertebrate Pest Animal Management Policy outlines Council's approach to work with government agencies and the community to help coordinate pest control in a well planned way so that every dollar is spent to the greatest effect and animal suffering is minimised. Aim As part of the exhibition of the draft Vertebrate Pest Animal Management Policy Council has prepared this discussion paper. The aim of the discussion paper is to:

• provide information about the policy and the proposed management approach;

• gain feedback on attitudes in the community to pest animals and the roles of the community, authorities and Council in their management; and

• promote the reporting of pest issues to Council.

How does Wollongong Council compare with other Councils? Most Councils have at least some involvement with pest management. Common pest species targeted by Councils include rabbits, foxes and Indian Myna birds. Council pest control work is focussed on Council land, but often includes community involvement through education or community action programs. It is not intended that Wollongong City Council take over responsibility for pest control from private landholders or other government agencies in our area, but Council can do more to improve its land management and help coordinate pest control work so that it is as effective and efficient as possible. When Council considers a pest to be a high priority, it can develop Pest Management Plans and target these pests. Role of the Community The community has a very important role to play in managing pest species. The community can:

• Ensure that food and shelter are not provided for pest species, e.g. covering compost bins and not leaving pet food outdoors;

• Contain domestic animals to avoid their release into the wild; • Report pest problems to Council to help us monitor pest impacts; and • Participate in pest control programs.

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DISCUSSION PAPER – PEST ANIMAL MANAGEMENT Role of the community (continued) Pests such as foxes and myna birds flourish in urban environments, feeding on pet food and uncovered compost heaps. Often domestic rabbits are released or escape into natural areas where they add to the wild rabbit population. Keeping pets contained and reducing the supply of food to pest animals is important in limiting pest numbers. Residents are also a source of valuable information about where pests are occurring and what impacts they are having. Council has developed a pest register as part of its Land Information System to record this information. If you have been affected by pest animals please contact Council on 4227 7111 and we will record the type of animal, how many are affecting you and where and when this occurred. This information will help build a better picture of which parts of the city are being impacted by pest species and the time of year the problem is most severe. This information will also be used to help prioritise pest control actions.

Role of Pest Animal Advisory Group

The Pest Animal Advisory Group is made up of staff from government agencies involved in pest management in our area and Council staff. Current members are from Industry & Investment NSW (I&I NSW), Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA), NSW Police Service, Cumberland Livestock Health and Pest Authority (CLHPA), Game Council of NSW, Animal Welfare League, RSPCA NSW and Council staff. This group is an important part of Council's approach to pest management. The group advises Council on pest matters and helps us improve the service provided to the community.

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DISCUSSION PAPER – PEST ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Information on Pests

Deer (Deer species)

Rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) are the main species of deer found in our area. They first escaped from an enclosure into Royal National Park in 1907, but have been found to occur as far south as Ulladulla. In recent years, deer have been found in increasing numbers in the Illawarra. They have been found to be predominantly in the Illawarra Escarpment or its vicinity, but have also been recorded on the coastal plain as far east as Windang. Other species occuring in the area include fallow deer (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elephus). Most complaints related to deer are received by Council in the months July through to September, corresponding with the increased range and mating behaviour of male deer. Of particular concern to Council is deer occurring on Council land near residential areas and on Council land containing endangered ecological communities. Deer have been found to be causing significant damage to the natural environment of Wollongong LGA and are thought to have contributed to motor vehicle accidents. Reports of deer repeatedly damaging gardens, revegetation works, and property have been recorded by Council. Herbivory and environmental degradation by feral deer has been listed as a Key Threatening Process (KTP) under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 reflecting the damage that deer are doing to native vegetation communities. There is strong evidence of deer damaging sensitive vegetation in the Wollongong area. A NSW Government approved program of deer control has been conducted in the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area since 2007 and private landholders are understood to have conducted deer control activities on private land. This program is part of a broader deer control program which has been operating in Royal National Park since 2001. Council is developing a Pest Management Plan for deer and considering ways to support existing deer control programs including engaging professional pest contractors to cull deer on Council land. Council is also looking at developing a Memorandum of Understanding with National Parks (DECCW) and Sutherland Council to help us work together on deer control.

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

The European Rabbit flourishes in a wide variety of environments. It is found extensively through the coastal plain of the Wollongong LGA. The Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 lists rabbits as a declared pest and obliges Council to control rabbit populations on Council managed land. Competition and grazing by the feral European Rabbit is listed as a Key Threatening Process under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Endangered Ecological Communities known to be impacted by rabbit populations include Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest, Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on Coastal Floodplains and Illawarra Coastal Grassy Woodlands. Rabbits have been found to be damaging revegetation activities and natural

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DISCUSSION PAPER – PEST ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Information on Pests

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

regeneration of Endangered Ecological Communities in Wollongong. Rabbits have also been found to damage playing and walking surfaces creating a hazard for pedestrians. Rabbits are believed to be a food source for foxes and feral cats and therefore should be controlled in an integrated manner with these species to avoid an increase in predation on native fauna from reductions in rabbit numbers. Council is developing a Pest Management Plan for rabbits which will lead to a coordinated control program across a number of sites. Although Council has conducted rabbit control at various sites in the past, the development of a Pest Management Plan for rabbits will help make these programs more effective.

Wild Dog (Canis lupis familiaris and Canis dingo)

Wild dogs and dingoes, occur west of the Wollongong LGA and are considered pests mainly for their predation on livestock, large mammals and large ground dwelling birds and for their transmission of diseases and parasites. Although wild dogs have been declared a pest animal species under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998, in the Wollongong Local Government Area wild dogs are managed through the Companion Animals Act 1998 and the Impounding Act 1993. Wild dogs have been included in this policy to allow for a coordinated response should they emerge as a pest issue for Council in the future. Wollongong Council currently assists the public to deal with stray dogs by supporting the RSPCA Animal Shelter and providing ranger services to assist with impounding stray dogs. Based on the currently available information, Council has allocated a low priority to the preparation of a Pest Management Plan for wild dogs. If wild dogs are affecting Council managed land in the future, Council will work with the Cumberland Livestock Health and Pest Authority to deal with these cases.

Feral Cat (Felis catus)

All cats, whether domesticated or not, are subject to the Companion Animals Act 1998. A feral cat is one which survives in the wild without need for humans for food or shelter. In Wollongong, feral cats are managed through the RSPCA Animal Shelter, in cooperation with members of the public, the Animal Welfare League and Council Officers. Because feral cats are potentially dangerous to handle, it is not practical for members of the public to capture and deliver cats to the pound. The Animal Welfare League has officers expert in capturing feral cats and Council provides financial support for this work.

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DISCUSSION PAPER – PEST ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Information on Pests

Feral Cat (Felis catus)

The public has a very important part to play in reducing the impacts of feral cats. By reporting cases of feral cats to Council on 4227 711, we can keep track of which parts of the city are having the greatest problems, and provide information on services available to deal with feral cats. Feral cats are known to exist in high numbers within the Wollongong LGA although data on their distribution is very difficult to establish due to their cryptic behaviour. Predation by Feral Cats is listed as a key threatening process under the TSC Act 1995 and the EPBC Act 1999. Reductions in competition from fox populations may increase cat numbers, so Council will consider control of feral cats in the event that we conduct programs targeting foxes.

Feral Pig (Sus scrofa)

Feral pigs are widely distributed throughout NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Pigs are capable of breeding rapidly and survive on a varied diet including grass, bulbs, tubers and vertebrate prey. They are responsible for habitat degradation through disturbance of plants and soil and through spreading diseases such as root-rot fungus (DECC 2006). Predation, habitat degradation, competition and disease transmission by feral pigs is a Key Threatening Process under the NSW TSC Act 1995 and the EPBC Act 1999. Feral pigs are mainly found in Wollongong when they are released to train hunting dogs. Council has recently assessed feral pigs as being a low priority for the organisation; however, this assessment may change if Council is informed of pig populations not currently known to Council. Council will work with the Cumberland Livestock Health and Pest Authority to deal with cases of feral pigs affecting Council managed land.

Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Foxes are known to be distributed throughout the Wollongong LGA and are found throughout NSW. Foxes are considered to be opportunistic predators, consuming a wide range of prey depending on availability. Management priorities in the Wollongong area have focused on fox impacts on Little Terns and Broad Headed Snakes. It is likely that fox predation is impacting on a great number of native fauna although the nature and extent of impacts on most native fauna are not known. Predation by the European red fox is listed as a Key Threatening Process under both the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Both the Federal government and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service have prepared a threat abatement plan for Predation by the European red fox. Council will be obliged to amend its plans of management if a NSW threat abatement plan contains measures specific to

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DISCUSSION PAPER – PEST ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Information on Pests

Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

community land. Measures to control foxes should be integrated with programs aimed at feral cats and dogs to avoid creating an increase in numbers of these other feral predators. Council has participated in fox control programs in the past, however, the use of 1080 poison is not feasible for the majority of Council managed land as it is dangerous for non-target animals such as dogs and cats.

Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

Indian Myna birds are considered a pest due to their perceived threat to biodiversity, for the fouling of public and private space and amenities, noise generated from communal roosts, damage to agricultural crops (eg wineries), and acting as carriers for avian diseases, some of which may be transmitted to humans, and mites. Mynas are considered to be a long term threat to the survival of other native species, especially those that compete for nest hollows. There is evidence that Mynas are spreading into more rural areas, potentially increasing the impact on threatened woodland species, such as the Superb Parrot and Brown Treecreeper (DECC 2007). In Wollongong there are a number of residents who have expressed concern over the Indian Myna population, with the common concern that they are negatively impacting on populations of other native species. We currently have no census information on the size and distribution of the Wollongong Myna population to know the scale of the problem, but it is evident that Mynas are widely distributed throughout the urban areas of Wollongong. Trapping, and removing food sources are the major options being explored by Council to reduce Indian Mynah bird populations. Some other site specific options are also available such as tree netting. Trials of an Indian Myna trap have been conducted over recent years and preliminary results indicate that the traps are effective for small numbers of birds if used appropriately. Council is in a position to use this policy to assess its future involvement in Indian Myna Management. If the control methods are shown to be effective and economical then Council can prepare and implement a Pest Management Plan to control Indian Mynas.

Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Carp are an introduced species of fish listed as a Class 3 noxious fish in NSW. This means that they are known as a significant and widespread pest, but their possession or sale is not prohibited (I&I NSW 2009). They are hardy and tolerant of a wide variety of conditions from pristine to degraded, but prefer warm water bodies with slow flowing or standing water and soft bottom sediments (I&I NSW 2009). Common carp exist in Coomaditchie Lagoon in large numbers and Council has conducted gill netting operations to reduce numbers. Carp are thought to be

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DISCUSSION PAPER – PEST ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Information on Pests

Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

impacting on Green and Golden Bell Frog numbers at Coomaditchie Lagoon and further reductions in Carp numbers are identified as an action in the Management Plan for the the Green and Golden Bell Frog Key Population at Port Kembla (DECC). An important goal for Carp control is to not to let them establish in other waterways in the area. If Council found an effective control method for local eradication, the current priority assessment of "Low" could be reassessed to be "High" and a control program developed. This would likely be in partnership with Industry & Investment NSW.

Feral Goat (Capra hircus)

Goats that have escaped the control of humans and are breeding in the wild are considered to be feral (Environment Australia 1999). In the Wollongong LGA feral goats have been found to occur in the escarpment lands and are likely to be impacting on Illawarra Subtropical Rainforest communities. Goats are generalist herbivores capable of surviving in a variety of habitats. Competition and land degradation by feral goats is listed as a key threatening process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Wollongong has several populations of goats under farm management and some known wild populations. Council's current priority assessment of goats is as a "Low" priority. The control techniques for goats available in the Illawarra are limited. Goats often occupy rocky and inaccessible terrain making control high cost and dangerous. How do I have a say in this discussion paper/policy? a. Attending one of the three community forums: 10 Feb 2010

Helensburgh Community Centre, Walker Street, Helensburgh

7.15pm – 8pm ** during the Neighbourhood Forum

16 Feb 2010 Level 9 Function Room Wollongong City Council Administration Building 41 Burelli Street, Wollongong

6-7pm

24 February 2010 Banksia Room Dapto Ribbonwood Centre Princes Highway, Dapto

6-7pm

b. Sending written feedback to Council via mail, fax (4227 7058) or email consultation@wollongong.nsw.gov.au by 1 March 2010; or c. Filling in a feedback form (by 1 March 2010) which is available from at all Council Libraries or Council’s website at www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au