On the 25th of March this year, two hunters were hunting on private land in Callendale, in Southeast South Australia, where they had a close call with an aerial culling operation.
The hunters were forced to run from the scrub into a clearing to ensure they were seen and out of harm’s way.
As a result of this incident, the South Australian government is investigating its safety protocols.
Concerningly, despite the helicopter being fitted with military-grade thermal imaging equipment, the hunter was undetected.
As a result of the helicopter culling on a property it did not have permission to, a “triple property check” process has now been implemented the day before an aerial program to ensure the right permissions have been obtained.
The aerial program is part of an ongoing “eradication attempt” by the South Australian government. It effectively forces landholders to participate in the aerial programs or face significant fines and penalties.
No introduced animal has ever been eradicated on mainland Australia. The science also demonstrates the futility of such an attempt.
As Australia enters a per-capita recession, taxpayers money must not be wasted on unachievable goals, and must be grounded in science and aligned with community expectations.