Intensive Pest Control Zones - vertebrate pest animals

What are Intensive Pest Control Zones?

Intensive Pest Control Zones are areas where various pest control activities are implemented to:

• reduce the population of cloven-hoofed pests
• reduce the risk of foot and mouth disease (FMD) transmission.

Cloven-hoofed pest animals include feral pigs, wild deer and unmanaged goats. 

FMD has not been detected in Australia. This program is about getting NSW better prepared to respond to FMD if it was detected. 

Vertebrate pest animals cause a lot of damage. Without intervention, feral pig populations can grow by 85% per year under normal conditions.

Now is the perfect time for coordinated pest management due to good seasons and the current risk of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Who manages the Zones?

Local Land Services manages the program. We work with private and public land managers in NSW to control vertebrate pest animals. Our goal is to protect primary production and native animals from diseases like FMD.

The NSW Government has invested $65 million in emergency animal disease prevention. This includes $22.83 million for the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Prevention and Preparedness Program.

This pilot program adds to our existing vertebrate pest animal control programs, which we will continue to deliver throughout the year.

How does the program work?

When a Zone is being established, Local Land Services will:

• notify and invite landholders in these zones to participate in the pest control program
• survey sites for pre-control cloven-hoofed pest populations using techniques like thermal imaging and distance sampling
• implement suitable control methods, including aerial and ground shooting, baiting, and trapping, and
• deliver capacity-building activities to landholders so they can implement control programs themselves in the future.

The duration of control activities depends on seasonal conditions, available contractors, and Local Land Services resources.

The Zones help test different approaches to controlling pest animals during a disease outbreak. This provides useful insights including:

• insight into better preparation and quick deployment of programs during an emergency.
• identifying shortcomings, challenges, and successes in responding to outbreaks across NSW.
• comparing pest control methods to determine which have the biggest impact. 

We use these insights to improve our regular pest control programs for greater year-on-year impact.

Why have we selected these zones?

We selected zones where: 

• the area size is logistically feasible, allowing us to deliver control programs with our available resources.
• we considered the value of production and conservation assets
• there are significant pest populations - based on previous control programs and direct reports to Local Land Services.
• there were properties previously involved in control programs, as these stakeholders are more likely to participate again, and because of the short timeframes for this program.

Why is controlling these pests in an outbreak important?

• Reducing the population of cloven-hoofed vertebrate pests lowers the risk of ongoing transmission in infected areas during an outbreak.
• If FMD is confirmed in an area, it is crucial to reduce susceptible pest species to limit the spread of the disease to susceptible livestock.
• Reducing transmission is essential for rapid eradication and reopening our export markets.

Is this program going to create an excess of dead animals for predators like wild dogs, which would contribute to their population growth?

No – we are still delivering our existing pest control programs for non-cloven-hoofed animals such as wild dogs, foxes and rabbits, to manage their populations.

Should I be worried about an FMD outbreak?

FMD has not been detected in Australia. This program is about getting NSW better prepared to respond to FMD if it was detected.

Livestock producers must be alert for signs of disease in their animals. 

If animals are showing signs of illness that are consistent with FMD, this must be reported as a matter of urgency to a Local Land Services District Veterinarian, the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 or to your private veterinarian. 

Landholders should familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of Foot and Mouth Disease in livestock.

All livestock owners should have stringent biosecurity measures in place on their property, and now is the time to get a Farm Biosecurity Plan in place. Local Land Services offers a range of farm biosecurity advice and resources.

How can I get involved in pest control programs?

Contact your Local Land Services invasive species team on 1300 795 299.