Toad Media
ABC NT Rural News summary
Keeping toads out of Western Australia
Monday 21/03/2005
Reporter: Adrienne Francis
At least $5,000,000 will need to be spent to try and ensure cane
toads go no further west than the Victoria River District.
That's the recommendation made by those attending a special forum
on the pest over the weekend in Kununurra.
More than a dozen scientists took part, including authorities from
the Territory, as well as celebrities such as the writer Tim Winton
and crocodile farmer Malcolm Douglas.
Our Kimberley reporter Adrienne Francis spoke to the events spokesperson
Dr Andrew Storey about the recommendations to Government. "Currently
we have $600,000 made available by the (WA) State Government and
that will be matched by another $600,000 by the Federal Government,
so one point two million (all up).
A figure of $5,500,000 was put up that the (WA) State Government
put towards controlling fire ants in Queensland.
So here we are, our Government giving money to QLD stop their issue.
Why can't that same value be put on stopping cane toads? Where we
have identified a real threat to our fauna." Dr Andrew Storey
says another forum will soon be held in Perth to raise the profile
of the toads threat to WA.
Dr Andrew Storey, University of WA & acting spokesperson Kununurra
cane toad forum
|
