There has been a strong rural and regional community response to the Invasive Animals CRC’s PestSmart National Roadshows which start in Queanbeyan, NSW today, and conclude 17 events later at Carrick, Tasmania on May 3.
The series of regional seminars will showcase the latest technologies and information available to control wild dogs and foxes, feral pigs, rabbits and other introduced animal pests.
The information days will also showcase the PestSmart Toolkit – an online collection of invasive species information and technologies to control pest species. Invasive animals cost rural Australia more than $1 billion annually in stock losses and lost productivity.
The 2012 Roadshow itinerary (full program at bottom of this page) includes seminars in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Tasmania. Events in the Northern Territory, completing the national footprint, were held last year at the Northern Beef Conference in Darwin in August and the NT Natural Resources Management conference in November.
An Invasive Animals CRC spokesman said there had been a great response from communities throughout Australia to the staging of the Roadshows. However communities were also asking whether there were events closer to them to attend.
While an additional date has been added to the original itinerary in Tasmania, the available budget had been stretched to the limit to include the current 18 appearances.
“The Invasive Animals CRC appreciates that people will be travelling hundreds of kilometres in some cases to attend a Roadshow and we promise them the trip will be worth it, with excellent presentations on research supporting effective invasive animal control – plus, we’re shouting a free lunch,” the spokesman said.
With the advice of the Roadshow sponsors (Meat and Livestock Australia, AWI and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority) and input from a well-rounded Roadshow steering group, the 18 events had been tuned to where invasive animals information will make the most impact on the ground for the available budget and input from the research presenters and other collaborators.
Each full-day Roadshow starts at 8am and will showcase best practice pest management incorporating currently used techniques and the latest innovations. Information and product demonstrations will be brought to producers directly by the Australian species experts.
New products to be covered include:
- Wild dogs and foxes: Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) baits, Blue-Healer antidote, mechanical bait /toxin ejectors and Lethal Trap Devices
- Feral pigs: Pigout, Pigout Econobait, Hog-Gone, HogHopper and a nitrite concentrate
- Rabbits: carbon monoxide fumigator and freeze-dried Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease for carrots
- Foxes and cats: spray tunnel technology.
Roadshow dates and venues:
- Queanbeyan, NSW – Monday 30 Jan, Queanbeyan Conference Centre
- Forbes, NSW – Wednesday 1 Feb, Forbes Services Memorial Club
- Albury, NSW – Friday 3 Feb, Albury Commercial Club
- Naracoorte, SA – Tuesday 7 Feb, Naracoorte Town Hall
- Horsham, Vic – Wednesday 8 Feb, Horsham Sports and Commercial Club
- Mildura, Vic – Friday 10 Feb, The Setts
- Port Augusta, SA – Tuesday 14 Feb, The Barracks
- Port Lincoln, SA – Thursday 16 Feb, Ravendale Community Sports Centre
- Carnarvon, WA – Monday 20 Feb, Carnarvon Civic Centre Woolshed
- Kojonup, WA – Wednesday 22 Feb, Memorial/Lesser Hall
- Esperance, WA – Friday 24 Feb, Esperance Civic Theatre
- Bourke, NSW – Tuesday 28 Feb, Diggers on the Darling (old Oxley RSL)
- Charleville, QLD – Wednesday 14 Mar, Charleville Memorial RSL Club
- Toowoomba, QLD – Friday 16 Mar, Highfields Cultural Centre
- Armidale, NSW – Tuesday 20 Mar, Armidale Ex-Services Club
- Bairnsdale, VIC – Tuesday 17 April, Bairnsdale RSL
- Townsville, QLD – Tuesday 1 May, Townsville RSL
- Carrick, TAS – Agfest Field Days, May 3-5.
For more information, visit this website or phone Suzy Balogh 0418 417 943, email: suzy.balogh@invasiveanimals.com
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