Page 1559 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 31 March 2009
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The numbers of kangaroos that we are talking about are large. Relocating hundreds of animals does not appear to be an option as kangaroos do not take kindly to being cornered or captured. Experts have indicated that kangaroos can suffer physically from the trauma of being captured and once relocated there are many other pressures that significantly impact on their chances of survival, such as being in unfamiliar territory, susceptibility to food shortages, the danger of road traffic and competition with other groups of kangaroos.
While there is research being undertaken into fertility treatment, there is some distance to go before these approaches can be applied safely across large populations. Clearly, though, we must continue to investigate these options. However, at this point I would like to make it very clear that I do not consider there is a vendetta against kangaroos here in the ACT by the commissioner, the department or, for that matter, the government. We face some terrible choices around the management of large numbers of kangaroos in order to protect our grasslands and woodlands. I suspect that all those involved would gladly wish it was not so.
As I indicated, kangaroos are only one of the threats identified in Dr Cooper’s report. Overgrazing is also occurred by cattle, sheep and rabbits. At least two of these threats are surely easy for us to solve. There are recommendations to move stock off the grasslands areas and these should be implemented immediately. Sustainable stock grazing regimes should be implemented. In some cases, stock have already been removed and improvements in the grassland regeneration are already being noted.
Of course, we can put the responsibility for one of the great threats to the grasslands firmly at our own door. I refer to the threat of weeds. Chilean needle grass, blackberries, St John’s wort, serrated tussock and thistles are out there. The commissioner recommends that we embark on weed management action immediately, particularly around the suburb of Yarralumla, home to five of our grasslands, and in Belconnen at Umbagong Park north and Kaleen east paddocks. Some of these sites merely require changes to mowing practices. Grasslands do not take kindly to being overly mowed, aside from the fact that mowing often exposes them to the introduction of even more weeds.
These are the kinds of actions that the government can move quickly on. However, weed management in the ACT is not a new issue and it will be an ongoing one. We are now home to hundreds of exotic species across the territory and some of these particularly affect our native environment. It requires time and effort to implement weed management and a vigilance on the part of land managers. It may not seem to be a key priority but the threats to our native vegetation from weeds are not to be underestimated and the government’s weed eradication program needs to be well funded to manage this. It also needs professionals to be part of that program. We need to ensure that the government is working closely with rural leaseholders to cooperate on weed management programs.
I note with interest one of the key areas and one of the recommendations that may well have become muted in the political process of the commissioner distilling the recommendations and the minister outlining his response here in the Assembly last
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