News

A new independent report from Frontier Economics warns that not controlling the impacts of feral deer in Victoria could cost the community between $1.5 billion and $2.2 billion over the next 30 years.

DELWP has now released the Peri-urban Deer Control Plan 2021–26 to reduce the impact of deer across the peri-urban region east and north of Melbourne. The partnership group that helped prepare the plan contained a few VDCCN members. The Plan is constructed like a decision support tool to guide investment into on-ground action based on the greatest net benefit across multiple values and land tenure.

Alpine peatlands are a nationally threatened ecological community (as listed in the EPBC Act). As you can see from the photo below of a sambar deer wallowing in an alpine peatland, feral deer are a serious threat to these sensitive areas (along with feral horses). Imagine the time it will take for this sensitive area to recover from this devastation even if deer were removed now.

The Invasive Species Council is surveying people across Victoria to determine their views on the impact of feral deer, targeting landowners in particular. The survey ran recently for North East Victoria and will shortly expand to take in the whole of Victoria. The results will be used to better understand community attitudes about, and the impacts of, feral deer.

Wilson’s Promontory National Park is a remarkable place; its scenery and biodiversity values are outstanding, however the park is not immune from invasive feral animals such as deer, rabbits, foxes and feral cats. In fact over years “The Prom” has supported large population of around 2000 hog deer.

Victoria’s Wildlife Act (1975) covers a range of issues associated with protecting our wildlife, including protecting deer!  The definition of wildlife in the Act specifically includes “all …

Feral deer typically live and move across a large landscape that may involve several properties. Actions of individual property owners and public land managers to control deer will have limited success unless there is a collective and co-ordinated approach.

A new report, Fighting plagues and predators: Australia’s path to a pest and weed-free future, says Australia is in the grip of an unprecedented attack on its native wildlife and environment …

A major parliamentary report on ecosystem decline in Victoria has been released after a lengthy investigation. The report investigated closely the situation with feral deer and presented it as a case study.

Parks Victoria, and in joint managed parks the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, will continue coordinated deer and feral animal control programs in fire-affected areas across Eastern Victoria from September 2021 to June 2022.

The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) has just released its investigation into how well the state’s biodiversity is managed and protected. The report is rather critical of the …

There are consistent and worrying reports of motor vehicle accidents caused by interactions with feral deer. To reduce the risk to motorists the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has arranged for two virtual fences to be been installed.

The National Feral Deer Action Plan is being developed to taking an Australia wide approach to limit further spread of feral deer into new areas and reduce the impacts of large populations of feral deer on the environment, primary production and communities.

Deer Control Strategy was released last year and included a commitment for the creation of a statewide deer advisory committee and the development of three regional deer control plans. Three regional deer control partnership groups are to be established to develop and implement regional plans.

He was amazed at the number of deer identified along the transects they flew. The results indicated there are 15 deer per square kilometre, which is high!

The report will be considered by the various stakeholders and will inform control programs.