Vertebrate Pests Committee

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MEETING – MARCH 2007

Biosecurity New Zealand represents New Zealand on the Vertebrate Pests Committee (VPC), an Australasian committee whose role is to provide coordinated policy and planning solutions to pest animal issues.

The committee reports to several Australian ministerial committees (the Natural Resources Management and Natural Resources Planning and Policy Committees), and is made up of representatives from each Australian state and territory, the Australian Government, New Zealand, CSIRO and the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre.

The VPC also convenes a number of technical working groups (which may include VPC members) to advise it on technical matters. New Zealand contributes expert advice to a number of these groups – for example, Kate Littin from MAF’s Animal Welfare Group, provides specialist advice as a member of the Animal Welfare Working Group.

The VPC met in Hobart in late March 2007. Potential items of interest from the March meeting include:

  • Australian Pest Animal Strategy – A draft strategy has been prepared and submitted for Ministerial approval.
  • National indicators – National indicators to monitor the effectiveness of pest management activities in Australia have been agreed, with agencies now working to develop information systems that support national performance reporting.
  • Pest management and climate change – The VPC endorsed adapting current risk assessment approaches to ensure these incorporate likely scenarios for climate change in New Zealand and Australia.
  • Review of the Australian Biodiversity Strategy – A National Task Group was set up to undertake this review in April 2006, and has released its initial findings.
  • Ornamental Fish Strategy – A strategy for ornamental fish management in Australia has recently been approved.
  • Animal welfare and the management of feral pest animals – One of the key actions under the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy is to develop/gain national acceptance of Codes of Practice and Standard Operating Procedures for animal welfare. Significant progress has been made toward developing national Codes of Practice for the management of feral animals (including for cats, goats, feral horses, pigs, foxes, rabbits and wild dogs).
  • Increasing rabbit numbers – Australia has experienced an increase in rabbit numbers over the last three years. Emerging research indicates that this relates to high levels of resistance in rabbit populations to the Czech strain of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus.
  • Next Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference – The next conference is to be held in Darwin in June 2008.

For more information on the VPC and the next Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference

For a copy of the New Zealand report tabled at the VPC meeting, and a summary of outcomes of interest to New Zealand, contact:

For a copy of the Australian Pest Animal Strategy:

  • Andrew Harrison (New Zealand representative on VPC), Manager, Pest Management Group, Biosecurity New Zealand, andrew.harrison@maf.govt.nz

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Page last updated: 30 April 2008