HVO 2009 Annual Environmental Management Report - Final

Coal & Allied – Hunter Valley Operations
5.2.13 Feral Animal Control
As part of HVO’s Vertebrate Pest Action Plan, a control programme is carried out on a quarterly basis. Each
quarter, the results from the previous programme (along with any focused control required) are considered to
plan the following control programme. Throughout 2009, control was based on a comprehensive baiting
programme to target wild dogs and foxes using meat-based baits injected with sodium monoflouroacetate
(commonly known as 1080). Feral cat cage traps were also used on three occasions at HVO. Table 63
summarises the vertebrate pest control undertaken at HVO during 2009.
Table 63: Vertebrate Pest Control Summary 2009
Total Lethal
Baits Laid*
Wild Dog
Takes
Fox Takes
Feral Cat Cage
Trapping
Sandpad
Monitoring
Summer 144 3 14 Trapping undertaken
( 0 cats caught)
-
Autumn 189 9 22 - Monitoring
undertaken
Winter 189 5 30 Trapping undertaken
(7 cats caught)
Spring 198 4 35 Trapping undertaken
(0 cats caught)
-
Monitoring
undertaken
Total 720 21 101 - -
* Cumulative number of baits presented at each check.
Sand pad monitoring was used twice during the reporting period to monitor feral animal abundance. Strips of
clay-rich bush sand were laid across tracks to record prints of animals moving through the area. Species
abundance figures were calculated using methods based on research carried out by the CSIRO and DECCW.
Table 64 presents the resultant species abundance figures. Figure 83 illustrates the areas in which feral
animal control was conducted at HVO in 2009. Due to the small scale, cat trap locations are not shown on the
figure. Traps were located around the main administration block and the CPP.
Table 64: Sand pad Abundance Calculations – 2009
Target Species
Autumn % Plot
Nights*
Autumn
Abundance**
Spring % Plot
Nights*
Spring
Abundance**
Wild Dog 14.67 Medium 2.56 Scarce
Fox 18.67 Medium 25.64 High
Macropod 45.37 High 37.18 High
Rabbit 18.67 High 19.23 Medium
Cat NIL Scarce NIL Scarce
Hare 12.00 Medium 6.41 Scarce
* No. plots with tracks/total number of plot nights (no. plots x no. nights exposed)
** Calculated using techniques published by CSIRO and DECCW.
AEMR 2009 181