By Jed Lanyon
Eildon MP Cindy McLeish has called on Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes to release a deer management strategy to address the escalating problem.
Speaking to the Victorian Parliament, Ms McLeish said deer numbers had escalated in her electorate.
“My constituents are looking for action from the government to tackle this problem,” she said.
“Deer management is one of the biggest issues in my electorate with people raising it with me all the time.
“I hear of damage to crops, vineyards and orchards.
“Other prevention strategies are expensive and extra wire fencing or electrification costs a lot.”
In June, the Mail reported on the Feller family, who spent thousands of dollars on these measures to limit the damage deer grazing their land caused.
Michael and Evelyn Feller purchased their Chum Creek property in 1999 and were able to plant trees and plants that stand tall to this day.
“When we first started, I didn’t spend a cent on any protection against animals,” Mr Feller said.
“Now everything I plant has to be protected, nothing survives the deer at the moment.”
Ms McLeish said other concerns raised with her included the number of collisions with deer, which were a danger for road users at night.
Other complaints included illegal hunting, shots being fired too close to houses, spotlights being shone into houses, signs being shot and carcasses left headless on the edges of town.
“The illegal activity of some hunters is damaging to the hunters who do the right thing – and there are many of those,” Ms McLeish said.
She said that the release of the deer management strategy was well behind schedule.
According to the opposition, an advisory group was established in March last year and targeted stakeholder workshops occurred the following month, with a public consultation process last October.
The Northern Yarra Landcare Network hosted a deer information session on 22 June this year for local residents concerned about the wild deer population.
The meeting allowed a member of the police to discuss the legalities of hunting deer on private property and the Landcare groups discussed whether hiring amateur shooters or professional hunters would be the best option going forward.
Speaking in Parliament, Ms McLeish said her constituents were looking for solutions.
She commended the Dixons Creek Landcare Group for a recent initiative that brought people implementing deer management strategies in other areas together with landholders to look for solutions.
“We need a solution to the deer problem now,” she said.
