Kangaroo culling on rural ACT land

Did you know?

  • Four species of macropod occur in the ACT with eastern grey kangaroo the most common. The other species present are the wallaroo, red-necked wallaby and swamp wallaby.
  • Populations of eastern grey kangaroo (kangaroos) in the ACT region are amongst the highest recorded anywhere in Australia.
  • High densities of kangaroos are known to impact on the productive capacity of ACT rural enterprises and damage ecosystems due to overgrazing.
  • Unfortunately this means both the government and rural landholders need to cull kangaroos to protect their land management interests.
  • The conservation status of eastern grey kangaroos is secure in the ACT; it is not endangered or reliant on rural lands.
  • Culling of kangaroos is permitted under licence on rural leases, to ensure that the productive capacity of rural properties is not adversely impacted upon by overabundant eastern grey kangaroos (ACT Kangaroo Management Plan, 2010).
  • All native animals are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. The Conservator of Flora and Fauna has the authority to grant licences to kill protected native species.
  • In addition to having to have a licence to kill kangaroos, people are reminded that all kangaroo culling must be done in accordance with the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies (Non Commercial Purposes). The code can be viewed at
  • The ACT Government has been issuing licences to cull kangaroos for rural landholders since 1994. Prior to this, a rental rebate scheme was in place.
  • ACT has a legal kangaroo culling season. The season for mixed sex culling is 1 March to 31 July each year (5 months). Both sexes may be culled during the mixed sex season; the focus is on population reduction. The season is timed to decrease the likelihood of orphaning dependent young.
  • Licence applications are due in January each year in order to be ready to collect for the start of the culling season on 1 March.
  • There is an additional male only season available to those who have participated in the mixed sex cull. This season is 1 August to 31 October each year (3 months). Only males are permitted to be culled.
  • The male only season is designed to protect spring pasture growth from excessive grazing. The shooting of small numbers of male kangaroos regularly throughout this period is allowed to provide a scaring off affect, rather than achieve any significant population reduction.
  • Any kangaroo culling outside of these times (from August to February), is illegal. Please report any illegal culling activity to Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
  • Cooperative land management is the key to successfully managing kangaroo numbers. Kangaroos move and graze across a landscape regardless of land tenure. Cooperate with neighbours, talk to each other about culling plans and share shooters to gain efficiencies.
  • Planning ahead and scheduling culling activity earlier in the season will facilitate a bigger window of opportunity to achieve objectives. Avoid delaying culling operations to mid winter when paddocks often get too wet to access. Collect your licence and tags early in the season.
  • To get the most benefit, target sub adults during the mixed sex culling season. These animals have been proven to eat the most pasture.
  • Remember, it is a landholder’s responsibility to ensure shooters are aware of property boundaries.
  • The ACT is the only jurisdiction to test non-commercial kangaroo shooters. Anyone wishing to cull kangaroos in the ACT is required to undergo the Shooter Proficiency Testing and achieve accreditation.
  • Shooter Proficiency Tests are conducted by ACT Parks and Conservation Service (PCS) every two years. There is one scheduled for October/November 2016. In order to participate, shooters need to be nominated by landholders. You will be provided an opportunity to nominate a shooter closer to the time.

Rebecca Dawson

Wildlife Program Coordinator

Rural Services and Natural Resource Protection ACT Parks and Conservation Service

Telephone: 6205 2695

Email:

The Capital is rusting!

Biological control of blackberry in the ACT

Standing here with the ACTs Senior Weed Management Officer, Steve Taylor, were looking at one of the release sites for blackberry rust. Even more precise, we are looking at whether the rust has taken to the host stand of blackberry within the release site.

Last autumn, PCS imported a new strain of blackberry rust Phragmidium violaeceum, which was developed by CSIRO, from a nursery site near Tumbarumba NSW. The rust was brought across the border to assist PCS and other land managers in tackling a significant weed issue on the landscape of the ACT. Murrumbidgee Senior Ranger Darren Roso and I chose a number of sites with varying local conditions (i.e. full sun, partial shade, full shade) to maximise the possibility of the rust successfully taking to the hosts.

The rust stresses the host plant and inhibits its ability to photosynthesise. As we stand here looking at the host bush we can see the yellow colour of rust spores under many of the leaves. There are also many leaves with the little black spots of the adult rust growing on their undersides. The leaves look weak and sickly and fall off easily. Many of the canes are shutting down and look twiggy and brittle. Even more fantastic is that some of the nearby blackberry bushes are becoming covered in rust, clearly showing that the rust has taken and is colonising.

To reach this site, we have driven through old pine plantation areas that were burnt in the 2003 wildfires. There is a veritable sea of blackberry through much of this recovering landscape and although PCS is actively trying to control this voracious weed, the berry still seems to be prospering. Looking at the rust on these sickly looking blackberries, we can begin to imagine this over the whole of the ACT and are optimistic that in the coming years we will see a significant reduction in the vigour of blackberry across our bush capital.

This is by no means a silver bullet in our fight against the blackberry, but blackberry rust offers another viable and cost effective tool against this thorny weed. PCS will continue to actively implement weed control programs using a range of methods to have the best results in reducing blackberry and to protect and improve our biological biodiversity here in the ACT. It is a great project to be involved in and well done to all.

Brandon Galpin

Ranger

National Parks and Catchments

ACT Parks and Conservation Service

Telephone: 6207 2425

Email:

Madagascan fireweed update

Fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) is a serious pasture weed of coastal New South Wales. It is able to grow on most soil types and in all aspects. It forms a persistent seed bank if not controlled before it seeds and can rapidly take over heavily grazed and neglected pastures, competing strongly with existing pasture plants. It seeds prolifically and matures quickly. Fireweed contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to livestock and cause liver damage. Young or hungry stock or new stock not previously exposed to fireweed are the most at risk of poisoning. All parts of the plant at all stages of growth are toxic. Hay, silage or grain that are contaminated with fireweed plants or their seeds can also be toxic.

Control programs for fireweed are ongoing in the urban areas at known infestation sites at Coombs Ponds, Crace and Ford and also the monitoring of all major arterial roads for the presence of flowering plants which are most likely to be imported from known fireweed areas such as the South Coast and Sydney regions.

Ongoing control of known sites is crucial. Each mature plant can produce up to 10,000 viable wind

borne seeds. It is critical to control infestations by early detection, regular monitoring and removal or treatment of seedlings prior to seed set.

Crace/Forde

Numbers of plants are decreasing in infested couch turf, but regular monitoring of known hotspots is still being carried out to remove and germinating seedlings. All areas are checked in spring and autumn after rainfall by a weed control contractor.

Coombs Pond

This site has been monitored weekly since the last substantial rainfall and many thousands of seedlings have been removed in the past six months. Fireweed at this site was most likely imported in plant tube stock, from known fireweed regions. The infestation was discovered after extensive seeding by mature plants, leaving an extremely large seed bank to control.

Jenny Conolly

Pest and Weeds Officer

Place Management, City Services

Telephone: 6207 1167

Email:

Government vet update

Animal emergency response in a bushfire workshop

During the 2003 bushfires when extra resources were needed, veterinarians from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) helped assess and treat injured and burnt livestock. This was the beginning of an historical arrangement where DAWR veterinarians volunteer to be available in the case of another bushfire incident in the ACT and surrounding area. At the start of the 2015 bushfire season, PCS provided training to more than 18 DAWR veterinarians to familiarise them with emergency bushfire response.

Initial training involved Dr Will Andrew, former ACT Chief Veterinary Officer and veteran of many fire responses, and other PCS staff, who provided information on the assessment, treatment and evaluation of livestock, basic map reading skills, fire ground safety principles, the daily routine in an emergency control centre, basic familiarisation with four wheel driving, two way radio usage, first aid and personal protective equipment, fire arms safety and the use of a captive bolt. Using photographs and personal recounts of working in fire ravaged areas, Dr Andrews provided insight into the reality of a fire emergency situation.

This was followed by further training at CSIRO’s Ginninderra Homestead, where groups were provided with interesting and challenging real-life scenarios. These scenarios involved assessing burnt stock, providing treatment advice for injured livestock, as well as advice and information on contaminated water, the disposing of carcasses, determining supplementary feed requirements and providing advice on post-fire related animal disease complications.

At the end of the day, everyone felt they were better prepared to help ACT landholders in a bushfire emergency response. The take-home messages from the training were:

  • in the interests of safety, gain permission before entering a fire ground
  • be mindful of the impact of the fire on landholders and livestock owners
  • initial assessment of livestock is made on animal welfare grounds
  • lack of fencing and feed, and contaminated water for remaining stock are likely to be issues in the days and weeks following a bushfire.

While this training focused on bushfire emergency response, these volunteers may also be asked to assist the ACT in an emergency disease outbreak, flood or any other emergency situation.

Biosecurity training for veterinarians, landholders and ACT government staff

Biosecurity/Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) workshops aimed at improving the ACT’s preparedness to respond to and minimise the impact of an emergency animal disease (EAD) were held during 2015.

Individual workshops were run for veterinarians, landholders and ACT government staff in order to focus on the specific roles these groups would play in such a response.

The training, presented by Dr Will Andrew and hosted by Tuggeranong Homestead, was aimed at delivering a sound understanding of fundamental principles and a commonsense, practical approach to the control and containment of a suspect EAD in a high stress situation.

Topics included risk management, use of PPE, correct selection of disinfectants, AUSVETPLAN and the role of industry in EADs.

Participants found the training days very informative and useful, with the practical sessions enhancing their understanding of the theoretical information presented.

ACT livestock producers forum

The ACT government will be hosting a livestock producers forum for landholders on Wednesday 18 May 2016 at Tuggeranong Homestead. The day will include presentations by the Cattle Council of Australia and Sheepmeat Council of Australia on the current challenges facing our livestock industries. Representatives from Animal Health Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia Limited, the Livestock Biosecurity Network and NLIS Ltd will highlight some of the important strategies and projects that are being implemented to address these challenges. Following the presentations, producers will have the opportunity to talk with the speakers about any issues that concern them. The forum will be free of charge with catering provided. Invitations and further information about the day will be sent out shortly.

Chlamydial abortion in horses

Parrot Fever or Psittacosis is a disease that causes a flu-like illness in people. It is normally caught through with contact with infected birds, their droppings, secretions or dust from their feathers. Recently the organism that causes Parrot Fever, Chlamydia psittaci, was detected in aborted material from mares and caused serious illness in some of the people who were exposed to this infected material. Further information on this disease and advice on how to safely handle tissues from mares who have aborted can be found at the following link: this is provided by NSW DPI. Primefact 1465 Biosecurity advice when handling aborted material from horses:

Dr Wendy Townsend

Chief Veterinary Officer

ACT Parks and Conservation Service

Telephone: 6207 2093

Email:

Soils Sutton Day - Powerpoint presentations on the web

If you missed the Soils Day held at Sutton in October last year (organised by the ACT Regional Landcare Facilitator with NSW Department of Primary Industries), and you want to know more about what was presented, go to the ACT Landcare website or just type into Google: ＆ACT Soils Day＊. You will find presentations from all the speakers on the ACT Landcare website. There is some great information available, including Powerpoint presentations from the following speakers:

  • Geology of the ACT - Dr Leah Moore, University of Canberra
  • Managing Soil Moisture and Salinity on Farm, John Ive, Talaheni§, near Yass
  • Soil Structure: the importance of space in soil, Dr Brian Murphy, Visiting Scientist Office of Environment and Heritage/ANU
  • Soil Chemistry: the importance of numbers in soil, Dr Mark Conyers, NSW Department of Primary Industries
  • Soil Carbon: the key to resilient farming systems, Dr Susan Orgill, NSW Department of Primary Industries
  • Alternative Fertiliser Trail, Fiona Leech, South East Local Land Services
  • Phosphorus cycling in pasture grazing systems and the importance of soil microbiology, Dr Alan Richardson, CSIRO
  • Humus: the dark side of soil , Dr Clive Kirkby, CSIRO
  • Changing landscapes starts with changing ourselves, David Marsh, Allendale§ Boorowa
  • Dung beetles, John Feehan, Dung Beetle Expert

Murrumbidgee CMA Salinity Hazard Report, NSW DPI.

Anna Van Dugteren

Natural Resource Management Facilitator Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate

Telephone: 6205 2914

Email:

Farm business training

As part of the National Drought Reform, the ACT Government continues to provide the opportunity for rural landholders in the ACT to undertake farm business training. This is in line with the National Farm Business Training Program.

The ACT Government will reimburse ACT rural landholders for three online courses: Manage the Farm Business, Business Structures and Relationships; and Manage Risk. This will occur on a per course basis, upon completion of all assessment tasks and confirmation of enrolment fee payment. More than one member of a family or business are permitted to be reimbursed for courses.

The main elements of the units cover developing and reviewing a business plan; monitoring and reviewing business performance; preparing and monitoring budgets and financial reports; supporting and reviewing business structures and relationships and managing risk.

Tocal College is the approved training organisation that is helping farmers prepare for drought and other challenges through improving their farm business management skills.

Course coordinator Mike Ison says ＆Tocal has been offering these courses online for several years and the feedback has been very positive. These subjects not only give farmers the fundamentals of farm business management to improve profitability and reduce risk, they also count towards qualifications such as the Diploma of Agriculture.

Course details are available at:

Please contact Michael Ison (Tocal College) for further course details or

Linden Chalmers (ACT Government) for reimbursement.

Contacts

Michael Ison

Coordinator, Farm Business Management,

NSW Department of Primary Industries,

Tocal College, Paterson NSW 2420

Email: , telephone: (02) 4939 8814