Invasive Species

The Nationals support a positive and practical approach to environmental management and recognise the critical role of farmers and regional people in caring for our country.

The greatest threat to biodiversity and agricultural production are the pest weeds and animals which continue to impact vast areas of rural and regional Australia.

The CSIRO has found invasive species cost Australia more than $25 billion in lost agricultural production each year and remain the greatest risk for the extinction of native species.

Private landholders spend more than $5 billion on invasive species control each year, and effectively outspend the combined efforts of state and federal governments.

Regional Australia needs its own positive environmental agenda which focuses on practical outcomes, technology-led solutions and delivering the jobs our communities need.

As a nation, we need more boots and less suits. That’s more boots on the ground undertaking practical environmental projects like invasive species control, and less suits making excuses for the lack of action.

If we are expected to be the custodians of a vast public land estate in regional Australia, we should benefit from more jobs on the ground to properly care for the environment and undertake more invasive species control programs.

At a time when farmers are feeling the pressure from increased input costs for fuel and fertiliser, we can’t afford to add to their social and economic stress by dropping the ball on invasive species.

Whether it’s pigs, deer, feral cats, rabbits, foxes, carp, wild dogs, fire ants or pest weeds, the Federal Government needs to be working in partnership with the states and natural resource management groups to control their combined impacts.

We need to see more resources and a concerted effort across state borders to reduce their impact on production and biodiversity, using every tool at our disposal.

The real environmentalists in Australia are the farmers, trappers, hunters, Landcare and Coastcare volunteers who get their hands dirty and undertake pest weed and animal control along with revegetation and other activities to support native species. In government, we will partner with them to improve the environment.

The Nationals support practical projects which make a difference on the ground and support the efforts of regional Australians to care for the environment while they provide the food security for our nation.

Rather than parading around the world with Ministers attending costly global summits, it’s time for the Albanese Government to focus on cleaning up our own backyard.

Negotiating a partnership with willing states to lock in long-term funding for control programs and natural resource management roles to leverage the efforts of volunteers and landholders, will deliver the environmental outcomes and the sustainable jobs our younger Australians are demanding.