We'll pay to control feral pests

LOCAL councils could be forced to expand into feral animal management under a proposed State Government bill.

Under the proposed Biosecurity Bill 2011, the control of pests inside Local Government areas must be performed by councils.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council mayor Steve Jones said the changes would force his and other local councils to expand into pest management.

"We're not happy about this because we'll have to get involved in this area that we've never had to be involved in before," he said.

Previously, local boards, such as the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board, were responsible for both the maintenance of the rabbit fence and the eradication of pests that got past the fence.

Member councils would pay a fee to the board that would then ensure the region stayed pest free.

However, the bill draft says states will combine local boards into a single authority to maintain the fence and put the responsibility of eradicating pests to local councils, from 2013.

"The main function under this Act of each local government is to ensure that invasive animals and plants (invasive biosecurity matter for the local government's area), whether or not they are prohibited matter or restricted matter, are managed within the local government's area in compliance with this Act," it reads.

Cr Jones said it would cost ratepayers, by forcing councils to begin working in areas they had no experience in.

"Essentially the control of rabbit outbreaks will have to be done by local authorities," he said.

"It's just another cost to local government.

"It makes sense for these blokes to work across a number of council areas not just in one."

The 555km long fence controlled by the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board stretches from Lamington National Park to Goombi in south-west Queensland where it connects to the dingo barrier.