Frequently Asked Questions | Outcome of the Declared Pest Review
18 December 2017
A review of the declared pests of Western Australia was commenced by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in July 2015 and was completed in May 2016.
The review considered the declaration status of 44 vertebrate animals and 61 plants currently declared under section 22(2) of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act).
In addition to re-assessment by DPIRD of each species, the review included broad community level consultation that included industry representatives, Recognised Biosecurity Groups, the WA Local Government Association, local governments and government agencies, and invited community and interest groups.
The review’s recommendationshave been accepted by the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Hon Alannah MacTiernan MLC, and the changes to the status of the reviewed pests were published in the Government Gazette on 17 November 2017.
Why has a review of the Declared Pests been undertaken?
The Western Australian Auditor General’s Report Managing the Impact of Plant and Animal Pests: A State-wide Challenge (2013) and the Western Australian Biosecurity Council advice, dated 18 December 2014, recommended the list of declared vertebrate animals and plants be periodically reviewed.
Most of the current declared plants and vertebrate animals under the BAM Act had been transferred in 2013 on a like-for-like basis from the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1977 (ARRPA) declarations, without review.
The review focused on those species that were declared in the management categories under ARRPA and did not include the cacti species which were recently declared in late 2014.For some declared species the circumstances and perceived risks that led to their declaration under ARRPA have since changed, supporting the need for review.
What was the review process?
Stakeholders were invited to provide input into the proposed process and methodology and the review process involved three stages:
- Technical review and assessment by DPIRD subject matter experts to determine suitability of the declaration status of each species according to the DAFWA policy, Declaring and Categorising Organisms: Section 22(2) Declared Pests. The review assessments provided a recommendation for each declared pest.
- Review by the Stakeholder Reference Group of the technical assessment recommendations.
- Wider stakeholder consultation and review of the recommendations of the technical assessment and Stakeholder Reference Group.
As a result of the stakeholder engagement, modifications were made to the final recommendations of some species to reflect community concern that a change in the declaration status of some species was not desirable.
What organisms were reviewed and what was the outcome?
The declaration status of 44 declared vertebrate animals and 61 declared plants present in WA, declared under section 22(2) of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act), have been reviewed through this process.
The final recommendations for 35 declared vertebrate animals and 55 declared plants are in line with the majority of stakeholder submissions.
The review has resulted in changes to the declaration status, and/or control and keeping categories of 30 pest vertebrate animals and 48 pest plants currently found in WA. Changes were published in the Government Gazette on 17 November 2017.
The review has ensured that WA now has an up-to-date, rational, realistic and widely supported suite of declared pests.
The Western Australian Organism List (WAOL) has been updated to reflect the changes.
No change
The declaration status of 14 declared vertebrate animals and 13 declared plants will remain as per their existing declaration status. See Table A.
The existing control and keeping requirements under the BAM Act will remain and landholders are expected to manage the declared pest in accordance with the BAM regulations.
Permitted Organisms (s11)
The declaration status of 1 vertebrate animal and 27plant species has changed to declaration as permitted organisms under section 11 of the BAM Act. See Table B.
Species that are permitted do not have any restriction on their entry, movement or keeping requirements and landholders have no obligation to control this species unless they wish to manage the species as part of normal business practice.
Native Organism’s declared as Permitted Organisms (s11)
The declaration status of 11 declared vertebrate animal species that are native organisms are now declared as permitted species under section 11 of the BAM Act. See Table C.
All management outcomes for these native species will be the responsibility of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) through the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
Prohibited species (s12)
In this groupare4 declared vertebrate animal species that are now declared as prohibited species under section 12 of the BAM Act. See Table D.
Prohibited species must be reported to DPIRD and are subject to management outcomes and compliance activities that are designed to ensure that these species do not become established in Western Australia, and impact upon our agricultural or environmental values.
Species that have a change to the control category, area declared or keeping category
Where the technical review and stakeholder consultation determined that a change in the control category, the area declared, the keeping category or taxonomy under section 22(2) of the BAM Act 2007 and the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Regulations 2013 (BAM Regulations) was required, the declaration status was amended accordingly. This affected 14 declared vertebrate animals and 21 plant species. See Table E.
A summary of all the changes is provided in Table F that identifies the status of the organism pre the declared pest review and the accepted recommendations after consultation was complete.
Species of community interest
Cotton bush
After feedbackfrom community groups the final recommendation for cotton bush was for the declarationstatus to remain as a declared pest as it is a priority species for many biosecurity groups in southwest WA.
Skeleton weed
Following consultation with the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme management committee, the final recommendation was to retain skeleton weed’s current declaration status while the committee conducts further consultation with industry contributors in relation to the management program.
Feral cats
Some concern was expressed during the consultation phase that feral cats were not part of the declaration review. Feral cats are now being considered for declaration by DPIRD and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA)and consultation with stakeholders has been undertaken to determine the appropriate declaration status for feral cats.As a result of this consultation, additional information is being provided to the
WA Local Government Association and a final recommendation on the agreed declaration status will be provided to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development and the Minister for the Environment for their consideration.
Foxes
The declaration status of the red fox has been changed to a prohibited keeping category meaning that it can only be kept by a zoo or scientific organisation (See Table E). For those people that are currently keeping a fox further advice will be provided about how they can apply for a permit to ensure that they are complying with the new declaration status.
Baudin’s cockatoo
Baudin's cockatoo is endemic to the south-west of WA and occupies eucalypt forests, farmland and urban areas and will forage from the ground up to the forest canopy. The population size is estimated at 15 000 birds and the species is considered at risk due to ongoing population decline greater than 50% over three generations (58 years), as a result of shooting and loss of nest hollows to bees and other cockatoo species.
Baudin's cockatoo has a history of causing damage to commercial pome fruit crops as it eats the seeds of apple and pear fruits.
As assessment of Baudin’s cockatoo concluded that the species did not meet the criteria for declaration under section 22(2) of the BAM Act.
DPIRD does not engage in any control or regulatory activities for Baudin’s cockatoo and the cockatoo is protected under State and Commonwealth legislation as a species considered at risk of extinction.Continuing to have Baudin’s cockatoo as a declared pest under the BAM Act serves to create confusion over the status of the species.
No control category
An important outcome is 15 widespread and established weed species will be a declared pest but will no longer be assigned to control category. For these weed species the department will no longer carry out compliance activities but will continue to provide advice on control techniques to landholders and will maintain web information where possible. However, these species will not be subject to inspection or compliance activities by DPIRD.
Coordinated community response plans through a Recognised Biosecurity Group (RBG) are expected to become the main form of management for these species.
By retaining these species as a declared pest, RBGscan still make these pests a management priority. This supports the department’s goal for industry and the community to become more actively involved in managing pest issues that RBGs identify as a locally significant issue.
By maintaining declaration status, RBGs and other volunteer groups can legitimately ask for, and receive, funding from numerous sources and may set a Declared Pest Rate (DPR) for the management and control of that declared pest.
Selling or supplying a declared pest that is not assigned to a control category
Inspections for people selling or supplying a declared pest that is not assigned to a control category will not be applied.
However advice may be provided advising them to withdraw the species from sale.
Table A: Final recommendations where there is no change to the declaration status.
Common Name / Scientific NameAnimal
sulphur-crested cockatoo / Cacatuagalerita
dingo / Canis dingo
dingo-dog hybrids / Canis dingo x Canis lupus familiaris
feral dog / Canis lupus familiaris (feral)
red deer, elk / Cervus elaphus
fallow deer / Damadama
emu / Dromaiusnovaehollandiae
feral horse / Equus caballus (feral)
Asian house gecko / Hemidactylusfrenatus
agile wallaby / Macropusagilis
domestic rabbit / Oryctolagus cuniculus
Wild rabbit / Oryctolagus cuniculus(feral)
ring-necked pheasant / Phasianuscolchicus
rainbow lorikeet / Trichoglossus spp.
Plants
camelthorn / Alhagi maurorum
skeleton weed / Chondrilla juncea
cotton bush / Gomphocarpus fruticosus
hydrocotyl / Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
bellyache bush / Jatropha gossypiifolia
lantana / Lantana camara
water lettuce / Pistia stratiotes
mesquite / Prosopis glandulosa x velutina
sagittaria / Sagittaria platyphylla
gorse / Ulex europaeus
Bathurst burr / Xanthium spinosum
Noogoora burr / Xanthium strumarium
Jujube (Chinee apple) / Ziziphus mauritiana
Table B: Final recommendations where the species is recommended for declaration as section 11 permitted organism.
Common Name / Scientific NameAnimal
ostrich / Struthiocamelus
Plants
Mexican poppy / Argemoneochroleuca
African thistle / Berkheya rigida
saffron thistle / Carthamus lanatus
glaucous star thistle / Carthamus leucocaulos
field bindweed / Convolvulus arvensis
artichoke thistle / Cynara cardunculus
thornapples / Datura spp.(ferox, inoxia, leichhardtii, metel, stramoniumwrightii)
doublegee / Emex australis
lesser jack / Emexspinose
heliotrope / Heliotropium europaeum
St. John’s wort / Hypericum perforatum
horehound / Marrubium vulgare
willows (white, pussy, mintweed, common, corkscrew, basket and golden weeping) / Salix spp.(alba, caprea, chilensis, cinerea, matsudana, viminalisandxchrysocoma)
mintweed / Salvia reflexa
spinyheadsida / Sidaacuta
flannel weed / Sidacordifolia
Table C: Final recommendations where the species is a native organism and is recommended for declaration as section 11 permitted organisms.
Common Name / Scientific NameAnimals
Australian ringneck, 28 parrot / Barnardiuszonarius
Baudin’s cockatoo / Calyptorhynchusbaudinii
wood duck / Chenonettajubata
Australian raven / Corvuscoronoides
western grey kangaroo / Macropusfuliginosus
euro / Macropusrobustuserubescens
red kangaroo / Macropusrufus
WA king parrot, red-capped parrot / Purpureicephalusspurius
long-haired rat / Rattusvillosissimus
Australian shelduck / Tadornatadornoides
Silvereye / Zosteropslateralis
Table D: Final recommendations where the species is recommended for declaration as section 12 prohibited organism. 11
Common Name / Scientific NameAnimals
water buffalo / Bubalusbubalis
Northern palm squirrel / Funambuluspennantii
rusa deer / Rusatimorensis
European starling, common starling / Sturnus vulgaris
Table E: Final recommendations where the species is recommended for a change in control category, area declared, keeping category or taxonomy.
Common Name / Scientific Name / RecommendationAnimal
Butler's corella / Cacatua pastinator butleri / Declared pest s.22: C1 Whole of State where not naturally occurring, C3 Shires of Greater Geraldton, Dalwallinu, Irwin, Mingenew, Morawa, Mullewa, Perenjori, Three Springs, Busselton and Perth metropolitan areas outside natural range where present.
Exempt keeping.
Muir's corella / Cacatuapastinatorpastinator / Declared pest s.22: C1 Whole of State where not naturally occurring, C3 Southwest land division where not native - shires of Boyup Brook, Cranbrook, Manjimup.
Exempt keeping.
little corella Kimberley / Cacatuasanguineasanguinea / Declared pest s.22: C1 Whole of State where not naturally occurring.
C3 areas outside of natural range where recorded present - Perth Metro area, City of Mandurah, Bunbury, Albany, and Kalgoorlie, Shires of Busselton, Murray, Waroona, Harvey, Dardanup, Capel, Donnybrook-Balingup, Augusta-Margaret River, Denmark, Wyndham-East Kimberley, Derby-West Kimberley.
Exempt keeping
little corella Pilbara / Cacatuasanguineawestralensis / Declared pest s.22: C1 Whole of state where not naturally occurring.
C3 Areas outside of natural range where recorded present - Perth Metro area, Shires of Busselton, Carnarvon, Greater Geraldton, Irwin, Three Springs, Morawa,Mullewa, Perenjori, Mingenew.
Exempt keeping
feral camel / Camelus dromedarius (feral) / Change to Exempt keeping category
feral goat / Capra hircus(feral) / Change to Exempt keeping category
feral donkey / Equus asinus (feral) / Change to Exempt keeping category
galah / Eolophusroseicapilla / Declared pest s22(2)
No control category
northern palm squirrel / Funambuluspennantii / Change in Control category to C2 for City of South Perth
ferret / Mustelaputoriusfuro / Declared pest s22(2)
C1 Whole of State when at large uncontrolled in the wild and WA off-shore islands
flowerpot snake / Ramphotyphlopsbraminus / Declared Pest s22(2)
No control category
cane toad / Rhinella marina prev. (Bufomarinus) / Declared Pest s22(2)
C1 (S of 20°S latitude)
feral pig / Susscrofa(feral) / Change to Prohibited keeping category
red fox / Vulpesvulpes / Declared Pest s22(2)
C1 WA Off-shore islands, C3 Whole of State
Change to Prohibited keeping category
Plants
bridal creeper / Asparagus asparagoides / Declared pest,no control category
calotropis / Calotropis procera / Declared pest,no control category
golden dodder / Cuscuta campestris / Declared pest, C3 Whole of State
purple rubber vine / Cryptostegia madagascariensis / Declared pest, no control category
Paterson’s curse / Echium plantagineum / Declared pest, no control category
cape tulips(one-leaf) / Moraea flaccida / Declared pest, no control category
cape tulips (two-leaf) / Moraea miniata / Declared pest, no control category
parrot's feather / Myriophyllum aquaticum / Declared pest C3 Whole of State
stemless thistle / Onopordum acaulon / Declared pest, no control category
parkinsonia / Parkinsonia aculeata / Declared pest,no control category
blackberries / Rubus spp.(anglocandicans, laudatus, rugosusulmifolius) / Declared pest, C3 Whole of State
candle bush / Senna alata / Declared pest, no control category
sicklepod / Senna obtusifolia / Declared pest, no control category
variegated thistle / Silybum marianum / Declared pest, no control category
silverleaf nightshade / Solanum elaeagnifolium / Declared pest, no control category
apple of Sodom / Solanum linnaeanum / Declared pest, no control category
athel pine / Tamarix aphylla / Declared pest,no control category
arum lily / Zantedeschia aethiopica / Declared pest,no control category