The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has released Victoria’s first ever deer management strategy to reduce the damaging impact the animals have on farming, the environment, Aboriginal cultural heritage and road safety.
Executive Director of Biodiversity at DELWP, James Todd said the Victorian Deer Control Strategy would coordinate deer control efforts, limit the spread of deer, remove them from isolated areas and prevent new populations from appearing.
“While deer were introduced in Victoria around 150 years ago, there has been a recent and significant jump in numbers, with deer spreading to new parts of the State,” Mr Todd said.
“As their population increases, so too does the damage they do to Victoria’s environment, farming and Aboriginal cultural heritage sites,” he said.
“They also pose a danger on Victorian roads, including those in some outer Melbourne suburbs.”
Mr Todd said deer were also an issue for farmers as they destroyed crops, grazed on vineyards and carried pathogens that could contaminate drinking water reservoirs.
He said deer control was one of the best and most cost-effective ways to protect threatened species in Victoria.
“Australia’s environment isn’t adapted to hard hooved animals like deer,” he said.
“As a result, they do a lot of damage by creating tracks, causing soil erosion around streams and rivers, and creating mud pits where the males like to wallow.”
Mr Todd said the animals’ trampling and browsing could severely damage sensitive rainforests and alpine areas, including the habitat of already endangered or threatened wildlife.
He said regional deer control plans would be developed to coordinate the efforts of land manages and groups who were already undertaking deer control activities.
“We need to coordinate these efforts, so the most important locations are targeted, and communities and the environment get the greatest benefit from that work,” he said.
Mr Todd said the Strategy included actions to address the difficulties in controlling deer in urban areas such as the Dandenong Ranges, Warrandyte and Yarra Valley.
DELWP’s 39-page Victorian Deer Control Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
