THE Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has confirmed that feral deer will be shot at Devilbend Natural Features Reserve, Tuerong.
The department did not reveal when the shooting would begin or how many deer were estimated to be in the reserve.
Chief biosecurity officer James Todd said while there had not been a formal survey, the number of reported sightings of deer “suggests there has been an increase in deer numbers on the peninsula”.
The primary control method for the deer is shooting, which will be carried out by professional shooters, accredited volunteer hunters, commercial harvesters and recreational hunters (“Shooting deer a ‘control’ option” The News 19/7/22).
The state government has provided $19.2 million over four years and $4.4 million a year ongoing for the development and implementation of regional deer control plans under the Victorian Deer Control Strategy.
DELWP says the strategy provides a clear and coordinated approach to controlling deer in Victoria.
The strategy recognises the increasing and significant impacts of deer on biodiversity and the broader environment, Aboriginal cultural heritage, agriculture, public safety, and community expectations.
Details: environment.vic.gov.au/invasive-plants-and-animals/deer-control-program/deer-control-strategy
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 July 2022
