The South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) has hailed the joint PIRSA and Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s successful feral deer culling program.

SAFPA chief executive Nathan Paine said the program would benefit all agricultural commodity groups.

“The forest industries in South Australia is a critical commodity group generating almost $3b in Gross State Product and directly and indirectly creating over 21,000 jobs in South Australia and those jobs are put at risk by pests such as feral deer which makes the aerial culling program so critical,” he said.

“After fire and drought, pests such as feral deer have the potential to significantly hurt the industry from destroying seedlings through to damaging the trees in the forest.

“The aerial shooting program was extended south into the Green Triangle forestry estate for the first time and removed 655 feral deer in less than two weeks.

“When combined with the Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s professional ground shooting program a total of 1429 feral deer have been removed from the southern forestry estate in less than 12 months which has a significant benefit to the industry.

“We only have to look at the critical timber shortages throughout the COVID period to understand the importance of sovereign capability and as the plantation estate in the South East has contracted, we need to ensure every seedling we plant has the best chance to grow into a tree that can contribute to fibre supply.”

Mr Paine said programs such as the aerial culling were critical to ensuring future fibre supply by removing pest animals from the estate.

“We strongly congratulate the board for its commitment to this program,” he said.

“SAFPA, on behalf of the industry, will be looking to work with PIRSA and the Limestone Coast Landscape Board to ensure the continuation of this program into the future.”