Fencing Biosecure Production Zones and Pest Knockout Grant Program
September 2024
The $3.7 million Fencing Biosecure Production Zones and Pest Knockout Grant program is supporting landholders to manage pest animals, pest plants and improve primary production, providing many benefits to various industries, the local environment, as well as local communities and economies.
Please note: applications to participate in this program have closed.
How is the program helping landholders in Western NSW?
The program is supporting landholders through on-ground projects including fence construction and coordinated pest animal control.
Participating landholders will also receive resources to help build their capacity, knowledge and adoption of biosecurity and sustainable agricultural practices.
The on-ground projects are also assisting landholders and industry prepare for emergency animal disease outbreaks, including foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease.
In addition to supporting landholders, the program will benefit the local environment, local communities and stimulate local economies.
Fences up, pest animal control works underway
Following a competitive expression of interest process, 9 landholder projects were approved through this program.
The projects will see a total of 376 km of exclusion fencing erected and 331,170 hectares of property enclosed. Of the 9 landholder projects, all have completed or are in the final phase of completing their fencing, with approximately 350 km of the 376 km of exclusion fencing delivered to date.
Pleasingly, landholders are reporting immediate improvements to their primary production, biosecurity and biodiversity following the installation of exclusion fencing.
With the exclusion fencing mostly completed, landholders have moved to the next phase of the program, focusing on feral pig control by purchasing material for pig traps and grain feeders for 1080 baiting of feral pigs.
A large cluster of adjoining properties have started on an intense on ground baiting program prior to an aerial shoot which is scheduled for late this year. The aim of the aerial shoot is to knockdown any remaining feral pigs and other pest animals.
Local Land Services’ Brian Dohnt thanks the participating landholders for their commitment to the program.
“All 9 landholders have done a great job progressing their exclusion fencing and moving into pest animal control works,” Brian said.
“The landholders, with support of Western Local Land Services, planned out the various stages of the program which is allowing the smooth delivery of the on-ground works.
“Having this exclusion fencing gives the landholders the opportunity to manage pest animals, improve primary production as well as enhance the local environment, while also being a great tool for the preparedness for a potential emergency animal disease outbreak.”
Landholders reporting improvements on-property
Participating landholders have reported immediate improvements to their primary production, biosecurity and biodiversity following the installation of exclusion fencing. One such landholder is Nick Mannion from Lake Wallace Station.
“It’s been very pleasing to see the positive changes come about to our paddocks that are now enclosed behind our exclusion fencing,” Nick said.
“We’ve noticed an increase in our groundcover as we now have greater control over pest animals like feral pigs which is benefitting our livestock.
“We are really pleased to see an increase in the abundance of wildlife and birdlife on our property through monitoring cameras we’ve installed as part of the project, particularly in areas where they aren’t known to frequent.
“Getting the balance right between increasing our primary production while also improving biodiversity and the local environment is something we are passionate about.”
Another landholder who installed a monitoring camera as part of his project recorded two wild dogs on his property. Both wild dogs were controlled by the landholder.
Find out more about the program
You can get in touch with the team by emailing admin.western@lls.nsw.gov.au
The Fencing Biosecure Production Zones and Pest Knockout Grant Program is part of the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment to biosecurity. The project is being delivered by Local Land Services.