Funding boost sees NSW biosecurity budget swell to more than $1b
For cattle breeder Tim Vincent the news of more than $140 million in new funding for biosecurity across New South Wales could not have come at a better time.
WARNING: Readers are advised this article includes an image some may find distressing.
The owner of four properties, including an Angus stud near Tamworth, said the feral pig population in the area was as bad as he had seen.
"They are in areas we have never seen them before," Mr Vincent said.
"You can hear them of a night-time near the house, arguing and fighting.
Feral pigs cause damage to crops, pastures and waterways and have be known to kill livestock and charge humans.
An extra $141.2m was announced last week ahead of next week's budget, bringing total biosecurity funding to a record $1.05 billion.
The NSW government has allocated $100m of the new money to improving biosecurity, with $42.1 million to be spent on modernising research and development infrastructure.
The Invasive Species Council said the additional funding was welcome, but CEO Jack Gough said spending must be strategic.
"I'm hopeful we're not … getting silly press releases of 100,000 animals killed," he said.
Mr Gough said hunting was still used for managing some invasive species but the bounties under consideration would make no difference over an extended period.
"They don't increase the level of feral animal management and they tend to lead to fraud," he said.
"[We should be] empowering our departments to focus on areas of strategic need where we can get some really important wins to stop those pigs or deer from spreading into new areas."
The NSW Farmers Association president Xavier Martin said farmers needed all the support they could get to deal with weeds, diseases, and invasive species.
"If fire ants are allowed to spread … they'll change our way of life, change our landscape, our flora and fauna," he said.
"These are all unmanageable risks for the individual farmer.
"But as a nation and certainly as a state … we can deal with these and prevention is far better than a cure."
Premier Chris Minns said the extra funding was "absolutely crucial if we want to keep our agriculture sector healthy".
"We want to see it grow, expand into new markets — but first things first, that is, protecting agriculture right here in NSW," he said.
Minister Tara Moriarty said she hoped updating facilities would also attract more young people to the industry.
"Some of the workforce is getting towards the end of their working lives and they want to pass on their knowledge," she said.
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