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Local landholders report feral pigs are out of control Continued from Page 1. after years of high rainfall, attacking native of control now, and we need a drastic and susBob said they have been rooting up the animals and livestock, and causing massive tained increase in resources for everyone inground, in particular in the water drains, and damage to crops and infrastructure. volved to get on top of the problem once and wrecking fences. “The past three years have been a boom time for all.” Sarah Johnson at Gilgunnia Station, 40km for pigs,” Mr Martin said. According to Local Land Services, more north of Cobar said 12 months ago it was very “While government control efforts had made than 63,000 feral pigs had been culled as part hard to catch a pig. a slight dent in the overall number of pigs in of coordinated aerial and on-ground shooting “Now we’re seeing mobs of 20-40 pigs in and baiting in the past 12 months. Mr Martin the crops. It’s not a big crop, but they’ve laid said anecdotal reports from farmers meant the “A lack of effective control on about 20 per cent of it down,” Sarah said. actual numbers were likely far higher. public lands is undermining “We’ve had them swimming in our stock He said there were serious concerns about our collective efforts,”—Xavier feed troughs making them muddy and also what would happen after June 30, when the Martin, NSW Farmers president breaking them. They’ve been damaging our State Government’s additional pig control spear traps for goats also.” funding ended. Landholders have reported them coming in certain areas, there were too many reports of a “Trying to keep the pig numbers down farmcloser to their homes, with one reporting them booming breeding population to ignore. by-farm is a bit like trying to put out half a fire rooting under their clothesline. “From what we’re hearing members tell us – if you’re not tackling the whole problem Sarah said they recently caught a big boar they’ve never seen pigs this bad before,” he methodically, it’ll just keep coming back,” Mr near their house. Martin said. said. “I think the best help we could receive is “Aerial shooting over the past year saw 80 “A lack of effective control on public lands help with some pig traps. Poison is too danger- per cent more pigs culled than the year before, is undermining our collective efforts, and we ous for working dogs,” she said. and authorities have distributed 74 tonnes of know that’s where the pigs are breeding beNSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said baits to landholders, but the numbers continue cause we see them coming onto our farms there are millions of feral pigs breeding and to grow, particularly on public land. from public lands. rampaging across the countryside, thriving “It’s clear the pig numbers are growing out “We need more resources and a solid commitment from all parties involved to tackle feral pigs so we can get on top of them and stay on top of them.”
Pool contract won’t be tendered out Cobar Shire Councillors have opted not to call for tenders for the management of the Cobar Memorial Swimming Pool but rather to extend the existing contract. Council’s director of finance and community services, Kym Miller proposed the extension to Councillors at last week’s Ordinary Council Meeting. Mr Miller said there was the likelihood of three major construction projects being undertaken over the next two seasons which have the potential to cause disruptions over the next two years. The projects include repairing of the wall at the ‘deep end’ of the 50m pool, making the plant room compliant (as reported to Council’s May Ordinary Meeting) and the development of the overall site as per the Master Plan (depending on funding availability). “Whilst the intention would be to undertake these projects either independently or concurrently between seasons, it is highly likely that they will require some of the time normally considered pool season,” Mr Miller said. He said a new contractor could be much more difficult to negotiate variations with than the existing contractor. Councillors voted to extend the existing contract with the L&R Group.
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