Pest Management, Biosecurity and Wildlife

North West Queensland Regional Biosecurity Plan (NWQRBP) 2022-2027

The North West Queensland Regional Biosecurity Plan 2022-2027(PDF, 13MB) has been facilitated and compiled by Southern Gulf NRM and developed in partnership with the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (NWQROC), and participating councils; Burke, Carpentaria, Cloncurry, Doomadgee, Etheridge, Flinders, McKinlay, Mount Isa and Richmond Shire Councils.

Pests have significant impact on human health, the economy, the environment and social amenity. The objective of managing invasive species is to prevent incursions and to minimise the negative impacts of these species.

The purpose of the North West Queensland Regional Biosecurity Plan (NWQRBP) is to establish a Local Government planning framework that will address the impacts of the Flinders Shire current and potential pests. The development and implementation of this strategy is based on the management principles of integration; public awareness; commitment; consultation and partnership; planning; prevention and early intervention; best practice; and improvement.

The management of pests is a shared responsibility of land managers, industry, the community and all levels of government. While the primary responsibility rests with the land manager, collective action which engages all stakeholders is best practice, particularly for transient species.

The Plan has been established to ensure resources are targeted to the highest priority biosecurity management activities and are those most likely to succeed.

The plan looks to increase awareness, define agreed responsibilities and coordinate strategic actions to:

• Reduce the economic, environmental and social impacts of pests,
• Improve the use of finite resources and expertise available for managing pests within the shire,
• Prevent Establishment and prevent the spread of pests,
• Lessen the local impacts of priority pests and
• Improve the protection of environmentally significant areas.

The NWQRBP has been developed for the benefit of the North West Region and our entire community. The expertise of many local stakeholders has been drawn on in planning for the cooperative management of pests on all land within the shire boundaries.

The Biosecurity Act 2014 supports the prevention, eradication and effective management of invasive biosecurity matter by providing for the development of biosecurity plans. Under the Act, local governments, together with the community, are required to have a biosecurity plan in place to manage biosecurity matter in their local government areas. Practical solutions that are appropriate to the levels and types of issues can be strategically developed. Involving community sectors in planning and development is considered best practice and fosters shared ownership for the management of invasive biosecurity matter.

The general biosecurity obligation (GBO) is the principle obligation under the Act and requires a person to take action to minimise biosecurity risks.

The management of invasive biosecurity matter is a shared responsibility of all land managers, industry, the community, and all levels of government. While primary responsibility rests with the land manager, collective action which engages all stakeholders is best practice, particularly for mobile species.

Biosecurity Risks can be unpredictable, rapidly changing and variable across bioregions and time. Planning is imperative to the successful management of invasive biosecurity risk within and between local government areas. The scope of the NWQRBP is to manage risk associated with invasive plants and animals. This includes prohibited matter, and restricted matter.

Local Governments may also have invasive plants and animals that are not listed on these schedules, but pose a threat to the area and require management.

Council provides a washdown facility located on the Hughenden Saleyards Complex, that is available for public use. Please refer to Hughenden Saleyards for more information.

Council asks that sightings of declared pests within the Flinders Shire be reported to council on (07) 4741 2900 or by visiting the office at 34 Gray Street, Hughenden.

More information about pests can be gained at www.daf.qld.gov.au

Downloads

North West Queensland Regional Biosecurity Plan (NWQRBP) 2022-2027(PDF, 13MB)

FACT SHEETS

• New Stock Route Management Regulation 2023(PDF, 189KB)
• Changes to the Stock Route Management Act 2002(PDF, 101KB)

Flinders Shire Council Stock Routes

View Stock Routes network here.

Under the Stock Route Management Act 2002, the administration of the Stock Route Network is shared between Local Government and Queensland Government. The Flinders Shire manages the stock routes within the shire which contains water facilities (dams, windmills, wells, artesian and sub artesian bore) and reserves.

Council is responsible for day-to-day management, while the Queensland Government is responsible for providing the framework of legislation and policy for Stock Route management and support for Local Governments. Stock Route Watering Facilities are included as a responsibility for Councils to manage. The Rural Lands Department oversees and maintains approximately 30 watering facilities.

Landowners may apply to Council to take a supply of water from a facility. If they wish to do so, they must apply to the Council for a Stock Route Watering Facility Agreement. Taking water from a Stock Route Watering Facility without an agreement or without a permit is an offence under the Stock Route Management Act 2002. View the Application for a Stock Route Water Facility Agreement.

For the movement of stock on a Stock Route an Application for a Stock Route Travel Permit is required to be filled out and submitted to the Council Office at least three days prior to moving stock on the Route. For more information and assistance in completing a Travel Permit Application, refer to the Queensland Government website - Stock route travel permits.

As it is an offence to graze stock on a Stock Route without a permit, an Application for a Stock Route Agistment Permit is required to be filled out and submitted to the Council Office at least three days prior to the commencement date. For more information regarding and assistance in completing an Agistment Permit, refer to the Queensland Government website - Stock route Grazing (agistment) permit for travelling stock.

Before any use of the Stock Route is undertaken, a permit must be issued by Council along with the appropriate fees(PDF, 717KB) being paid.

The Flinders Shire consists of two Commons and eight Reserves that are used for grazing purposes. The two Town Commons include Hughenden Town Common and Prairie Racecourse Common which are available to residents to depasture Cattle and horses. An application to Agist Stock Form is required to be filled out and submitted to the office before an application can be approved. Seven (7) days notice is required to agist stock on a Town Common.

The eight Reserves are located at Stamford, Torrens Creek, Prairie and around Hughenden.

• Hughenden Town Common
• Prairie Racecourse Common
• Stamford Reserve
• Prairie Cemetery Reserve
• Prairie Aerodrome Reserve
• Torrens Creek Reserve
• 15 Mile Reserve
• Hughenden Aerodrome Reserve Paddock C
• Hughenden Aerodrome Reserve Paddock D
• 2 Mile Lane Reserve

Hughenden Town Common

The Hughenden Town Common is situated west of the township on the old Richmond Road. It consists of an area of 1,534ha and includes one main watering facility. Residents of Hughenden are able to agist cattle or horses on the Common according to Council's Policy.

Map(PNG, 363KB)

Prairie Racecourse Common

The Prairie Racecourse Common surrounds the northern side of the township and consists of an area of 386ha. It has one watering facility on the eastern side below the Racecourse. Residents of Prairie are able to agist cattle or horses on the Common according to Council's Policy.

Map(PNG, 189KB)

Stamford Reserve

The Stamford Reserve is located 65km south of Hughenden on the north-western side of Stamford. It consists of an area of 3,362ha and includes four watering points, one dam and three tanks and troughs. The Reserve is grassed with an abundance of Mitchell and Flinders Grasses and has bitumen road access. The Reserve is currently being Agisted on a 3 month Agistment Permit, with option to continue.

Map(PNG, 285KB)

Prairie Reserve

The Prairie Reserve is located south-west of the township. It has an area of 319ha and includes the Prairie Airstrip which is maintained by Council. The Reserve has one Watering Facility which consists of a trough. The Reserve is currently being leased on a 3 month Agistment Permit, with option to continue.

Map(PNG, 189KB)

Torrens Creek Reserve

The Torrens Creek Reserve is located south-west of the township. It consists of an area of 1,810ha with the opportunity of applying for an additional permit to occupy over part of the Stock Route to include an extra 496ha. The Reserve consists of three watering points and runs along the Torrens Creek waterway. It is a predominantly well timbered, red soil country which converts into lighter sandy clay and harder gravel country closer to Torrens Creek. It is grassed with Feathertop and Spear-grass, with other evident grasses being Rhodes, Secca, Spinifex, Bluegrass and Kangaroo Grass. The Reserve is currently being agisted on 3 month Agistment Permit, with option to continue.

Map(PNG, 232KB)

15 Mile Reserve

The 15 Mile Reserve is situated on the Old Richmond Road approximately 10km north-west of Hughenden. There are two watering facilities including the Stock Route Watering Facility which includes a Solar Pump which fills two 10,000 gallon tanks and a trough as well as a dam at the southern end of the Reserve. The 15 Mile is 1,611 hectares and is grassed with Flinders, Mitchell and Buffel which covers black soil open areas to well shaded river country. The Flinders River runs along the back of the Reserve however is fenced separately. The Reserve is currently being agisted on a 1 month Agistment Permit, with option to continue.

Map(PNG, 299KB)

Aerodrome Reserve

The Aerodrome Reserve is situated north-east of Hughenden and includes two paddocks. One paddock is situated in the southern corner of the Reserve and includes an area of 95ha. The other is situated in the north-west corner of the Reserve and is approximately 56ha with the possible opportunity of applying for an additional permit to occupy over part of the Stock Route to include an extra 12ha. The two paddocks are predominantly light timbered, black soil country that runs into some clay-pans. The Aerodrome Reserve is grassed with Mitchell and Flinders, with Buffel Grass being well established in these areas.

Map(PNG, 216KB)

2 Mile Lane Reserve

The 2 Mile Lane is situated on the southern outskirts of Hughenden on the Kennedy Developmental Road towards Winton near the Racecourse.

Map(PNG, 110KB)

Contact

For more information regarding the Flinders Shire Commons or Reserves please call:
Rural Lands Department on (07) 4741 2900.

Wild Dog Trappers

Do you require the services of a wild dog trapper?

Flinders Shire Council is collaborating with three wild dog contractors to manage the feral dog population and minimise its impact on the local ecosystem.

Land managers are encouraged to make contact for the services of a wild dog trapper on their property; residents can express their interest in trappers at their property by contacting our Rural Lands Coordinator or Rural Lands Admin Officer.

The council recognises the importance of working together with residents to address wild dog issues. Reporting sightings and requesting trappers can create a safer environment for pets and wildlife in the Flinders Shire. The initiative also aims to educate the community on responsible pet ownership and the importance of keeping domestic dogs contained. Cooperation is crucial for the success of this program and for protecting the local ecosystem. Residents are encouraged to report any feral dog sightings promptly to ensure a swift response from the council.

If you would like more information, please get in touch with us at the Rural Lands Coordinator at 0428 412 306 |
(07) 4741 2900 or the Rural Lands Admin Officer at (07) 4741 2900 | rlao@flinders.qld.gov.au

Baiting Campaign

Flinders Shire Council organises two aerial and ground baits a year around April/May and October/November for all graziers in the Flinders Shire to participate in. A 1080 Baiting Flyer is sent out to all residents within the Shire stating the date, time and baiting venues for the next bait. Graziers are to supply their own meat cut into 250g pieces, the Rural Lands Officer will spray and roll the meat with 1080 at the designated baiting venues, and the Council supplies an aeroplane to fly the meat out, or graziers can choose to distribute the baits themselves. If graziers wish to supply meat for pig baits, they will be cut into 500g pieces, and the RLO will inject 1080. All meat is to be dried out prior to the baiting.

Council offers the opportunity to all graziers to bait anytime in the year. Please refer to the Council's Wild Dog Control Measures Policy for conditions regarding this.

Council offers a Wild Dog Scalp Bounty to anyone in the Shire who brings in a salted wild dog scalp. Scalps are to be bagged individually and delivered to the Hughenden Landfill on Mclarens Street, Hughenden.

The baiting program will be conducted under the following principles:

• Landholders are to supply their own meat.
• Follow Up Ground Baiting by arrangement only.
• Please come prepared with appropriate meat size and quality, or the council will refuse to inject.
• Please be patient and prompt as we go through each individual, their paperwork, and the amount of meat they may bring for injection.

Policies and Levy

In 2006 Council adopted the Wild Dog Control Measures Policy after the Wild Dog Levy was introduced. The Special Rate is levied on rural properties classified as Category 3 being all land within the Shire which the Valuer-General has identified as Rural Land. The Council is of the opinion that all rural properties will derive a benefit from the Wild Dog Levy. The rate is levied on the basis of a rate in the dollar on the Unimproved Capital Value of each property. The Special Rate will be utilised for the control of wild dogs on rural properties throughout the Shire and will partly fund the costs of undertaking co-ordinated baitings including the Admin Technical Officer's time, plant and equipment, aeroplane hire and payment of bounties.

• Wild Dog Control Measures Policy(PDF, 80KB)
• Flinders Shire Local Government Wild Dog Management Plan(PDF, 2MB)

Regional Wild Dog Advisory Group

The Flinders Shire Council has helped form a Wild Dog Advisory Group that consists of a Councillor, State Government Department staff and rural property owners. The Wild Dog Advisory Group will provide advice to Council and help coordinate control measures throughout the Shire. Four meetings are held a year in the months February, May, August & November, with one meeting a year being open to all graziers in the Shire. Minutes are taken and distributed to committee members prior to the next meeting.

Meetings are held to discuss the following topics:

• Future / prior baiting campaign and statistics
• Council's Wild Dog Scalp Bounty ($50)
• Various Control Methods
• Available funding
• Research updates
• Investigations/discussion of ways to improve Council's Wild Dog Control Programme
• Council's Wild Dog Control Measures Policy

The Advisory Group is currently working with Greg Mifsud the National Wild Dog Facilitator based in Toowoomba and Brett Carlsson, Wild Dog Coordinator for Agforce Queensland to gather as much information as possible on wild dog activity within the Shire through consultation with landholders which will then be utilised to develop a strategic management plan for the Shire. The plan will review the current wild dog control programme and using the information provided by graziers will look to incorporate a range of best practice methods for wild dog control in order to minimise impacts on livestock production within the Shire.

The type of information being gathered from graziers includes where stock attacks have historically occurred and where they are occurring now, wild dog movement corridors, wild dog breeding sites and where and what type of control was used in the past and being used now to manage wild dogs. The information gathered has been incorporated onto maps in order to get a better picture of the wild dog issue in relation to current control.

The Wild Dog Advisory Group is aware that the impacts of wild dogs, effect all residents in the Shire and is a whole community issue. The loss in production through wild dog attacks affects the prosperity of the Shire and this has many downstream impacts on things such as employment and the economy. Council and the Wild Dog Advisory Group are working together to minimise the impacts of wild dogs on landholders in the Shire, however we require landholders participation and assistance to achieve this goal. The development of a strategic management plan for the control of wild dogs is seen as a way forward on this issue and we strongly urge all landholders in Flinders Shire to participate in Council's Baiting Campaign to control wild dogs in the Shire.