Media release – Tim Baker, Secretary, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, 29 October 2021

Have your say on Draft Deer Management Plan

The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) has released the draft Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan for public consultation.

Department Secretary Tim Baker said the draft Plan is an important step in developing Tasmania’s first Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan aimed at providing a five year plan for the management of wild fallow deer in the state.

The Plan builds on recent actions that modernise deer management including removing quotas and tags for antlerless deer, extending the hunting season and introducing five year crop protection permits.

It also recognises that ongoing work undertaken by the Department in managing the impact of deer in peri-urban and other settings.

Mr Baker said the draft Plan proposes a balanced approach to managing the wild fallow deer herd that is underpinned and informed by science and quantitative, objective data.

“The draft Plan aims to minimise the wild fallow deer population in areas with significant natural values and address the agricultural, commercial, environmental and public safety impacts associated with the growth and increased distribution of deer populations in Tasmania,” Mr Baker said.

“The draft Plan also recognises that deer are an important recreational hunting resource and, consequently, the Plan is required to balance the different outcomes required by the Tasmanian community.”

The draft Plan proposes to manage the wild deer herd to achieve different outcomes for each of three management zones across Tasmania.

  • In Zone 1 (the traditional deer range) the goal is to enable sustainable hunting while managing environmental, economic and social objectives and giving land managers greater flexibility to manage deer.
  • In Zone 3 areas, including the Tasmanian World Heritage Area, certain reserves and urban and peri-urban areas, the goal is management for containment and eradication.
  • Zone 2 is a buffer zone where mixed management would be permitted. This is the area between Zones 1 and 3 where the aim is to manage the deer population down whilst recognising traditional hunting may occur.  The buffer zone reduces the unintended consequences that can occur with ‘lines on maps’.

“The draft Plan is being released for public consultation and I encourage stakeholders to provide feedback. The public consultation includes face-to-face meetings as well as the opportunity to prepare a written submission.”

“Once the final Plan is considered by Government it is envisaged that an Implementation Plan will be developed outlining the specific timelines, actions, resourcing requirements, and reporting processes to ensure that the 5-year Plan is delivered,” Mr Baker said.

Feedback is also being sought from the public, through this consultation process, regarding actions that could form part of the Implementation Plan.

The draft Deer Management Plan, and information on how to have your say, can be found on the DPIPWE website: https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/deer-plan

Submissions can be made until Friday, 3 December 2021.