THE TASMANIAN Government has confirmed it is still spending at least half a million dollars a year, of Federal funding, on fox detection and responding to possible threats.
The Government still has $1 million left in funding from the Federal Caring for Our Country target area grants, first provided in 2013/14.
Funding for the Fox Eradication Program, from 2002 to 30 June 2014, totalled $39.60 million consisting of $25.45 million from the state government and $14.15 million from the Federal government.
A spokesman for the Department of Primary Industries, Warwick Brennan, said the Caring for our Country grants were focussed on developing response capabilities, if required in future, to respond to the threat of foxes.
“Although the state is no longer undertaking eradication activities for foxes in the State, the threat of an incursion in future remains with a well-established population throughout south eastern Australia,” Mr Brennan.
“As part of its biosecurity work, the Department regularly is involved in not only preventing arrival of pests and diseases, but also ensuring the State continues to seek and implement the best mechanisms to respond to potential threats.
“The fox, along with a number of other pests and diseases which are established on the mainland, do remain a potential threat and so work is being undertaken to ensure we have the best methods in place to prevent their arrival as well as detect them in the landscape if they did arrive.”
The claims come despite a panel of prominent Australian scientists saying they have now proven - beyond doubt – there have never been any foxes in Tasmania, apart from one seen at Burnie in 1998.
They also come as wildlife experts and shipping companies say a fox incursion, from the mainland, was “highly unlikely.”
Prominent international vertebrate scientist Clive Marks said all the claims, physical evidence and scat DNA data used to support claims foxes existed in Tasmania had been analysed.
“Apart from a single fox incursion in Burnie in May 1998, no other empirical data concerning fox presence passes muster,” Dr Marks said.
“The principle claim about a mass release of foxes was baseless and the physical evidence used as 'hard evidence' was a dog's breakfast of opportunistically acquired specimens, most of which no one contests as being anything other than hoaxes.
“Taken together, I have no hesitation in concluding that there is presently no evidence of a fox population existing in Tasmania, nor has there been convincing empirical evidence of foxes since 1998.”
Mr Brennan said the Federal funding supported the capability to deliver a two-step incursion response framework; investigating reports and responding to the suspicion of detection of foxes under an Incident Management System.
“The project also aims to strengthen 'preventative' aspects to prevent future incursions,”
“The program is about ensuring rigorous response systems would be able to be provided if there was credible evidence of fox activity provided in future,” he said.
Regular discussions between the two Departments occured, and would continue to occur, to monitor and modify the project as was deemed necessary.
Meanwhile, the government has admitted it still holds 34 firearms, bought for the Fox Eradication Program.
In 2009, the program held 16 Lanber 12 gauge shotguns, eight Remington 22.250 rifles, 10 .223 Ruger rifles, one .22 Anchutz rifle .22, one Brno .22 rifle, and one Erma Werke .22 rifle.
Attorney General Vanessa Goodwin told parliament the Government started to reduce the number of firearms, held by the Invasive Species Branch as part of the eradication program, in late 2013.
“The Departmental Firearms Officer (DFO) was requested to assess whether there was any internal need for these firearms elsewhere across the department and, if not, to organise for disposal of the firearms through private sale,” Ms Goodwin said.
“Twelve Remington 22/250 calibre rifles were transferred to the DFO for
disposal via a local licensed firearm dealer.”
The sale price was set at $1 000 per firearm, reflecting current market value and condition; three of the rifles have been sold, while the others were held in armories at Prospect and New Town.
“It is intended that a further review of firearm requirements held by Biosecurity Operations Branch will be conducted in conjunction with the DFO and any firearms
identified as excess to requirements will be disposed of in a manner approved by the DFO,” Ms Goodwin said.
All other equipment used in the Fox Eradication Program, including UHF/VHF radios, GPS units, safety clothing, portable computers, mobile and satellite phones, remote cameras, Polaris ATVs and freezers have either been retained within Biosecurity Tasmania or have been transferred to other parts of the
department.
