Supplementary pest control

Summary

Through a Terms of Reference, the NSW Premier and the then Minister for the Environment requested the Commission to evaluate the supplementary pest control trial program to assist the Government in deciding whether, and how, to proceed with the proposed supplementary pest control program beyond the three-year trial period. The supplementary pest control trial program used volunteer shooters, and aimed to assist in controlling pest animals by complementing ongoing National Parks and Wildlife Service pest control programs.

The Commission released an evaluation framework, an evaluation of the trial design and an interim evaluation report.

The Commission's final evaluation report found that volunteer ground shooting has the potential to be an effective supplementary pest control technique in the state’s national parks and other reserves, if used as part of an integrated pest management program under controlled conditions. The Commission recommended that the supplementary pest control program continue and be expanded beyond the trial phase, and made further recommendations.

The NSW Government supported all of the Commission's nine recommendations and decided to continue the supplementary pest control program.

Key documents

• Final evaluation report - Government response (March 2018)
• Final evaluation report (February 2017)
• Interim report (February 2016)
• Evaluation of trial design (December 2014)
• Evaluation framework (August 2014)
• Terms of Reference