Greens Plan to Stop Invasives
The Victorian Greens will commit $240 million over four years to manage invasive plants and animals, as feral deer, foxes, goats, cats, rabbits, pigs and weeds threaten the state’s natural environment and farmland.
The plan includes the creation of a new Invasive Species Management Authority to coordinate an effective statewide approach targeting the worst invasive species, including $40 million to manage feral deer and $40 million for research into new and humane control methods.
The Greens will also end the use of recreational hunting as a key way to deal with invasive species, arguing it is ineffective, unsafe and often inhumane.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens spokesperson for the environment, Ellen Sandell
“Labor’s approach to invasive species management has failed. There is not enough funding, no statewide coordination and it is completely ineffective, which is why feral animals like deer are running rampant across Victoria"
"Labor’s thought bubble to allow recreational hunters into the Alpine National Park is not a solution, because scientific evidence shows that amateur hunting does not work to keep animals numbers down. We should not open up our precious National Parks to hunting, instead we need a professional, large-scale coordinated approach to getting rid of invasive species. I'm disappointed that Labor seems to just give in to whichever idea the Shooters and Fishers Party dreams up"
"Deer are a huge problem for farmers, rural communities and the environment. More than 1 million deer are running rampant across Victoria and Labor has done very little to deal with it."
“The Greens’ plan will put significant new money into a plan to stop the damage caused to the state’s natural environment and farms, and protect native species using the most humane methods available, and put $40 million into new research to find more effective and humane ways of dealing with invasive species."
Media Contact: Nick Gibbs 0491 012 791