ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 | 25
Collaboration key to pest management group partnership
THIS year, we further strengthened
relationships with our Burdekin Dry
Tropics Regional Pest Management
Group (RPMG) partners from local
and state government, landcare, and
industry.
Together we developed and
implemented four long-term
management plans for feral pigs, feral
chital deer, siam weed and prickly
acacia.
These plans target investment on
high-value environmental, agricultural
and culturally important areas.
NQ Dry Tropics Regional Pest Management Project Officer Rachael Payne
(left) with James Gaston, Gudjuda Reference Group Aboriginal Corporation
and Preedi Prayaga, Burdekin Shire Council.
We controlled siam weed and
prickly acacia in partnership with
regional stakeholders and 11 private
landholders, to improve agricultural
production and reduce the spread of
priority weeds along riparian zones
and in coastal wetlands.
We continued to be an active member
of the Sagittaria Working Group, an
initiative of the RPMG, which promotes
awareness of Sagittaria platyphylla
among community members at regular
events.
We also worked with longstanding
partner Dalrymple Landcare
Committee to manage feral chital
deer (Axis axis) in the Upper Burdekin
rangelands, via aerial and ground
shooting.
ABOVE: Preparing to reduce the numbers of feral chital deer.
BELOW: Volunteers are briefed before searching for saggitaria in the upper
reaches of Ross River.
PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY