An environmental group says the Tasmanian government has an opportunity to take stronger action on the state’s growing deer population following the release of hundreds of public submissions on deer management.
Dr Tiana Pirtle from the Invasive Species Council said the overwhelming message from the consultation was clear and has called for targeted control programs in conservation areas and within Tasmania’s deer-free zone.
She warned that relying on recreational hunting alone would not effectively reduce deer numbers.
“This is an opportunity for minister [Gavin] Pearce and the Tasmanian government to do something different rather than just relying on people doing a hobby to do their job for them,” she told Pulse.
“So we’ll see if they take that opportunity.”
More than 830 public submissions were received as part of the state government’s consultation on deer management.
The consultation summary, released this week by Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce, outlines several key recommendations including streamlining hunting permits and reclassifying wild fallow deer as invasive pests.
Pearce said controlling deer numbers would require cooperation across the community.
“If we want to get deer numbers under control, we need to take a collaborative approach,” he said.
The submissions also showed strong support for giving landowners greater flexibility to manage deer on their own properties.
“There was a very strong response from our recreational hunters, sending a clear message that they want the freedom and flexibility to take more deer,” he said.
Pirtle said people don’t want restrictions in place on removing deer from the landscape.
“There was overwhelming support from landowners, conservation groups, but also recreational hunters that really the bureaucratic red tape needs to be reduced,” she said.
She said the deer crisis has reached alarming levels across Tasmania, with farmers reporting to her herds of 400 deer moving through properties, damaging fences and destroying crops.
Car crashes involving deer have also surged 162% over five years and Tasmanians have claimed close to $800,000 in insurance costs from deer-related vehicle accidents, according to RACT data.
Pirtle said Tasmania sits at a critical tipping point, unlike mainland states where deer populations have spiralled out of control.
“If we keep going on the trajectory that we’ve been going, we will get to that point,” she said.
“Victoria and New South Wales are completely overrun by deer.”
Greens MP Tabatha Badger said the government “is more interested in protecting invasive deer than they are Tasmanian road users, farmers and our precious wild places”.
“These statistics lay bare what Tasmanians have been saying for years – that the out of control deer population poses a serious safety hazard and cost to Tasmanian road users,” she said.
“With the deer population exploding, it is clear that this Liberal Government’s lax approach to deer management is failing.”
“This failure is costing Tasmanians, from the agriculture sector to road users, millions per year.”
The government said they will consider the feedback before releasing its final policy response.
