Toad Media

20 February 2006

$500,000 to fight alien invasion

The State Government is backing a $500,000 community awareness campaign to alert the public to the threat cane toads pose to Western Australia's biodiversity and lifestyle.

Environment Minister Mark McGowan today said the campaign was part of the State Government's $2.5million commitment towards keeping the 'biological bombshell' out of WA.

"The campaign has a number of components, including television, radio and print advertisements," Mr McGowan said.

"The idea is to maximise the number of people we can reach and inform them of why the cane toad is a major threat to our wildlife and lifestyle.

"There is a new website: http://www.canetoadbattle.com to help people identify cane toads from native frogs. People also can listen to the cane toad's distinctive call."

The Minister said the television and radio advertisements had begun airing on regional, indigenous and tourist stations throughout the North-West.

There also were print advertisements in regional newspapers, as well as the distribution of posters and brochures to roadhouses, caravan parks, hotels and clubs, schools and the border crossing with the Northern Territory.

The advertisements would continue to run through to the end of June, when the tourism season was well under way.

"In April, the advertisements will be aired and printed in Perth and the South-West to inform people as they make their plans to head north to escape the southern winter," Mr McGowan said.

The Minister said the Department of Conservation and Land Management was working closely with community groups to trap and catch cane toads before they reached the border.

"Community involvement and awareness are critical elements in the Government's overall strategies to contain cane toads in the Victoria River district in the Territory," he said.

"Working with community groups such as Kimberley Toad Busters, CALM staff based at Kununurra continue to hand-collect toads at night to control existing populations around Victoria River, service cane toad traps set at strategic locations, investigate the current spread of toads and respond to reported cane toad sightings both in WA and the Territory.

"So far, CALM employees and Kimberley Toad Busters have caught and disposed of more than 6,000 cane toads - that is more than a tonne of biological destruction - in the Victoria River district."

Acoustic monitoring technology also has been installed in key areas in the Territory and in WA to help in detecting the toads and monitor their impacts.

Mr McGowan said the highlight of the State Cane Toad Initiative had been the high level of co-operation between Government departments in WA and the NT, and community groups.

"We must remain ever vigilant against this invasive pest and continue working together to stop cane toads before they reach our borders," he said.

Minister's office: 9222 9111

From the minister's office