The Minister for Primary Industries has confirmed the Liberal Government’s plan to unlock 15 of Tasmania’s reserves and conservation areas to recreational hunters under the guise of deer management.
Opening up public forests for recreational shooters is an obvious public safety issue. Destinations like Harding Falls are regularly used by bushwalkers, others by tourism business operations.
The natural reserves and conservation areas the government has flagged are incredibly biodiverse, with some, like the Great Eastern Tiers, home to the critically endangered Swift Parrot. These are some areas that deserve National Park status, such as FPPF land.
In Estimates we were told the evaluation of proposed land will happen under a Reserve Activity level two which does not provide public comment. The Greens call on the Liberal Government to make an exception to the RAA process to provide open public comment on the future of these loved parcels of public land.
Under questioning the Minister didn’t provide a shred of evidence to show that allowing recreational hunters would help control the deer population. The Liberals are choosing to do deals with the shooters over effective, evidence-based deer management.
Research and studies conducted in other jurisdictions have consistently shown that you cannot effectively manage feral deer populations through recreational hunting. A concentrated professional approach that is fully funded is required.
Invasive species populations are exponentially increasing, while funding allocations are decreasing. The Liberal Government’s decision to bring forward the next Deer Management Plan process is welcomed and they must now step up and properly fund evidence-based deer management – not opening reserves to recreational shooters.
Areas the Liberals plan to open to recreational shooters are:
• Alma Tier Conservation Area
• Eastern Tiers Conservation area
• Apslawn Regional Reserve
• Hardings Falls Regional Reserve
• Swan River Regional Reserve
• Cygnet River Regional Reserve
• Avoca Regional Reserve
• FPPFL extension to Castle Carey Regional Reserve
• Royal George Regional Reserve
• Snow Hill Regional Reserve
• Fisher Tier Conservation Area
• Midday Hill Conservation Area
• River Hill Conservation Area
• Black Jack Hill Regional Reserve
• Remarkable Rock Conservation Area
