Toad Media
ABC National Rural News
Private innovation could help stop cane toads
Friday, 05/11/2004
Private sector innovation could stem the march of the cane toad
into Western Australia.
That's the view of Russell Gueho, who used to
work in WA's Department of Conservation and Land Management.
He's accused government agencies like the National Vertebrate Pests
Committee and CSIRO of dragging their heels in
finding solutions.
And he says cane toads should get a higher funding priority.
"The Federal Government allocated $440 million to the Queensland
sugar industry - the irony there is that that particular industry
introduced the problem in the first place.
"If 10 per cent of the money that was allocated to the Queensland
sugar industry was allocated as a reward for private enterprise
to come up with a solution, people would be crawling over themselves
to find workable solutions to cane toad management."
Cane toads were introduced into Australia in 1936 at Meringa
Sugar Experimental Station, to control grey-backed cane
beetle and French's beetle in sugarcane.
This is a transcript from the ABC National Rural News that is
broadcast daily to all states on ABC Regional Radio's Country Hour
and in the city on ABC News Radio.
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