Pigs contolled in local valleys to protect biodiversity

According to the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority's (HNCMA) Landscape Coordinator, Rob Adam, feral pigs are one of the key threats to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and the surrounding private and public land.

"They are highly destructive animals. Their hooves damage soil, they feed on crops and pasture and they damage farm infrastructure including fences and dams and they carry diseases which threaten both native and farm animals," said Mr Adam.

The project brings together landholders across the Kanimbla and Megalong Valleys with the Tablelands Livestock-Health and Pest Authority (LHPA), the HNCMA, the Department of Environment and Climate Change and Blue Mountains City Council.

The project seeks to control pigs on 10,000 hectares of land and has $50,000 funding from the HNCMA in the past 12 months. The seasonal control of pigs is managed by the Tablelands Livestock-Health and Pest Authority.

Success of the project will be measured by the reduction in numbers of pigs being caught as the pigs' population decreases and their breeding cycle is impacted.

"We wouldn't have been able to run the project and have any success without the support of the landholders," said Mr Adam.

The Tablelands Livestock-Health and Pest Authority supplies landholders with pig traps and grain for bait. While for landholders who do not have enough time to set the traps themselves, staff from the Authority are granted access to the property to set and clear the traps.

The project has also been boosted by the Blue Mountains City Council's work in the valleys to remove large thickets of blackberry weeds, often used by pigs as a safe harbour for breeding.

The work contributes to the overall strategic plan for protecting the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area developed by the Department of Environment and Climate Change to identify and protect the park from key threats to its diversity of flora and fauna.

"It's only since the integration and collaboration between the National Parks, private land and public land we've been able to have success," said the HNCMA's Rob Adam "Previously when we were working independently we could only tackle half of the problem."

For further information landholders can contact the Tablelands Livestock-Health and Pest Authority (02) 6331 1377.