Tasmania has, for decades, been the standout state in Australia for wild deer management. Nobody is claiming that the arrangements are perfect (none are), however, using quality management principles, Tassie has largely managed to deliver a well-managed wild deer herd to the benefit of agriculture, the environment and recreational hunters.
It is an arrangement which has, in the face of widespread habitat change (predominately through changed agricultural practices) increase by just a couple of thousand deer since 2014. There are increases in range however which need to be arrested, particularly where they intersect with high value environmental assets.
The Tasmanian Government has commenced a project to prepare a Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan.
The Plan will capture current accepted management practices, existing government policy and commitments relevant to deer management, including the Government's response to the 2017 Legislative Council inquiry, as well as articulating additional strategies and actions.
The plan will also consider the outcomes of the recently completed baseline aerial survey of the wild fallow deer population.
The Plan will function as a single point of reference for wild fallow deer management in Tasmania.
Key issues
Some of the key issues to be addressed in the plan include:
· Supporting recreational deer hunting
· Management of wild deer impacts on private or primary production land
· Management of wild deer impacts on natural and cultural values
· Management of satellite wild deer populations and in areas currently free from wild fallow deer
The plan will be developed on the basis of wild fallow deer remaining a partly protected species under the Wildlife Regulations. The Australian Deer Association (along with the TDAC and the SSAA) will make detailed submissions to Government throughout the development process for this plan.
There will be two components to public consultation for the plan.
· Public information sessions where there will be an opportunity to provide the project team with feedback on the key issues for deer management in Tasmania. In addition, the Department welcomes any written feedback you may wish to provide for
consideration in the drafting of the plan.
· The release of a draft plan for a public comment period, expected to be in early 2021. Further public information sessions will be held during this time.
Public information sessions
Bothwell - 23 November, 6:30-8:00 pm
Bothwell Football Club Rooms, Bothwell Football Ground
Longford - 24 November, 6:30-8:00 pm
Riverlands Centre, 159 Wellington Street, Longford
Ulverstone - 25 November, 6:30-8:00 pm
Ulverstone Sports and Leisure Centre, Flora Street, West Ulverstone
Brighton - 26 November, 6:30-8:00 pm
Brighton Civic Centre, 25 Green Point Rd, Bridgewater
Please note: All sessions will be subject to a COVID Safety Plan. To manage the reduced capacity of the venues and to allow for contact tracing, attendance at the events will require pre-registration. You must be registered to attend (see below).
Please do not attend these events if:
· You been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had contact with someone who has in the previous 14 days
· You currently required by Public Health to quarantine or self-isolate
· You have flu-like symptoms including fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath
At some events, the venue may require temperature checks to be undertaken at the door prior to allowing entry.
To register for an information session
To register provide your name, a contact number and the session you wish to attend by email to DeerManagementPlan@dpipwe.tas.gov.au or by calling Game Services Tasmania on 6165 3225 prior to 3pm on the day of the event.
One person may be the contact for up to three other attendees at a single session provided you are able to provide the contact details of those attendees if required.
Written feedback:
Written feedback is welcome and can be sent to the email address below. While feedback is welcome at any time, for feedback to be considered in the draft plan it should be provided by 11 December 2020. Please be aware that while it is not intended to publish written feedback there may be a requirement to do so under some processes that may apply to correspondence to the Department.
Further information:
Updates and further information will be provided as the project progresses.
For more information on the project please contact:
Project Manager, Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan Project DeerManagementPlan@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
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