East & West Victorian Deer Control plans

Recently the Minister for Environment announced the East and West Deer Control Plans.

These plans are the second set after the release of the Peri-Urban plan. All three plans fall under the over-arching Victorian Deer Control Strategy.

The East and West plans attempt to guide deer control and management across both ends of the state by identifying priority areas to prevent or minimise the impact of deer on cultural, environmental, social and economic values.

It is important to note that the plan does not direct or prescribe local or site-specific control measures.

This will primarily be decided by the relevant land manager, which will most likely be Parks Victoria with local agencies and stakeholders.

NatureKit is a valuable tool in explaining Parks Victoria's key priorities when looking to undertake deer control.

The plan explains that deer's legal (game) status does not impede their management.

Whilst it does use the word elimination, it does caveat that any such program seeking to do this will need to "clearly demonstrate the practicality and feasibility of elimination, including a rigorous cost-benefit analysis to support the proposal." Which, if applied, will see that the pragmatic management of deer will come to the fore. Unlike South Australia.

In 2016 the ADA presented (at the Conservation through the Sustainable Use of Wildlife Conference in Brisbane) the need for a commitment to a cooperative approach from stakeholders, without prejudices or ideologies undermining the ultimate goal of delivering sustainable and sound wild deer management.

It is hoped that these plans, although narrow in scope, can help facilitate and enable better deer management outcomes and help mature the conversation around wild deer management.

The Australian Deer Association will continue to engage and work with stakeholders to deliver these on the ground actions.