Pest Animals
Pest Animals
Pest animals are any species that present a biosecurity risk – these are animals that have the potential to cause harm to human, animal or plant health, cause harm to the environment, or cause economic harm or consequences by spreading or becoming established within our region.
Pest animals in our region include:
- Feral deer
- Feral cats
- Wild dogs
- European red fox
- Feral goats
- Feral horses
- Feral pigs
- Wild rabbits
- Indian myna
- Common (European) carp
- Redfin perch
Council falls in the South East Local Land Services region, and our pest animals are managed under the South East Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan 2024 - 2028. This plan outlines how government, industry and the community can work together to prevent, eradicate, contain or manage pest animals.
All landholders, from urban blocks to large farms, have the responsibility to control pest animals and prevent new pest animals from establishing on their land. This is part of their General Biosecurity Duty.
Local Land Services can provide you with advice, information and training to better manage pest animals on your land and make your land more productive. Contact them on 1300 795 299 or visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/local-land-services/regional-office-locations for more information.
FeralScan
FeralScan is a free community resource that can be used by farmers, landholder-groups, volunteers, community groups, local government, and biosecurity organisations to monitor, map and manage established pest species. The resource can also be used to record sightings of new species such as red-eared slider turtles or corn snakes.
People can record sightings, evidence, impacts, control activities or photos of 13 established pest species in their local area. Information recorded into FeralScan helps local groups and biosecurity organisations to implement well-planned local management programs.
The FeralScan resource consists for a website, database, community map of pest animal information, and a mobile App (Apple and Android) for smart-phone users. FeralScan is being used for mapping problem hotspot areas, recording pests in remote areas, and planning where to undertake future control programs.