Queensland Feral Pest Initiative

The Queensland Government supports effective invasive plant and animal management in Queensland through the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative (QFPI). Through this initiative, funding is allocated to support regionally agreed cluster fencing arrangements, as well as other invasive plants and animal control and capacity building projects across Queensland.

Applications for Round 7 now closed

New funding was released as round 7. This round will see funding available for eligible organisations to undertake strategic control activities in local government regions across Queensland. It is offered to eligible applicants for projects up to and including two years.

Eligible organisations include:

  • regional natural resource management (NRM) organisations
  • incorporated industry organisations
  • local governments or a regional organisation of local governments or equivalent body.

Applicant guidelines and how to apply (PDF, 555.8KB)

About the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative

Since 2015, the Queensland Government has allocated $26.11 million to assist regional communities across Queensland with the construction of cluster fences in priority sheep growing areas, the control of invasive plants and animals and capacity building projects through the QFPI. This investment has been complemented with $14 million from the Federal Government.

The QFPI provides funding to eligible organisations including:

  • regional natural resource management (NRM) organisations
  • incorporated industry organisations
  • local governments or a regional organisation of local governments or equivalent body.

Eligible organisations must develop regional projects through consultation with affected stakeholders that may include:

  • local government, regional NRM organisations
  • primary producers
  • wild dog committees
  • landcare groups, catchment management groups, environmental organisations and other community groups
  • local training and employment organisations
  • Indigenous groups

The QFPI Oversight Group governs the development and implementation of the initiative and includes representatives from:

  • Non-government: AgForce, Queensland Farmers Federation, Local Government Association of Queensland, NRM Regions Queensland, Queensland Conservation Council, Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.
  • Government: Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy and Department of Environment and Science.

For more information please direct enquires to QldFeralPestInit@daf.qld.gov.au

Previous funding

  • Round 1

    Funding of $15 million was allocated in 2016, for invasive plant and animal projects. This included wild dog cluster fencing, wild dog control programs and invasive plant management.

    Organisation Project nameStatus*
    Southern Downs Regional Council Increasing Community support and participation in wild dog management activities in the Southern Downs and Goondiwindi Regional Council areas Completed
    South West NRM Collaborative Area Management Phase 2 Completed
    Goondiwindi Regional Council Goondiwindi Regional Council coordinated feral pest project Completed
    Maranoa Regional Council Maranoa Regional Collaborative Area Management Plan Completed
    Quilpie Shire Council Quilpie Shire/SWRED wild dog on ground action plan Completed
    RAPAD Central Western Queensland and Flinders Region strategic fencing initiative Completed
    Desert Channels Queensland Tackling prickly acacia through aligned weed management Completed
    Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Improve feral cat management in eastern Australia in partnership with universities, state government and not for profit land management agencies and other invasive species management research agencies Completed
  • Round 2

    Funding of $8.84 million was allocated in 2017, for invasive plant and animal projects. This also included wild dog cluster fencing, wild dog control programs and invasive plant management.

    Organisation Project nameStatus*
    RAPAD Central Western Queensland and Flinders Region cluster fencing Completed
    Cape York NRM Reducing the economic and environmental impacts of high priority weeds in the Cape York region Completed
    Desert Channels Queensland Northern Lake Eyre Basin prickly acacia eradication program - Stage 3 Completed
    Fitzroy Basin Association Dawson Catchment Integrated Vertebrates pest control (DCIV) Completed
    Southern Queensland NRM (formerly Queensland Murray-Darling Committee) Eradicating breeding population of rabbits in local area and strategic deer control in targeted areas Completed
    Townsville City Council Yellow crazy ant program, Nome Townsville Completed
    Goondiwindi Regional Council Goondiwindi Regional Council Stage 2 cluster fence project Completed
    Maranoa Regional Council Barrier fence to the Queensland border Collaborative Area Management Project Completed
    Western Downs Regional Council Pests, partnerships and people power in the Western Downs Completed
    Southern Gulf NRM Prickly acacia management on Lawn Hill, Punjaub and Neumayer Valley Stations to stop the spread and reduce the density Completed
    Balonne Shire Council Maranoa-Balonne: targeted monitoring, aerial baiting and trapping program for inaccessible areas Completed
    McKinlay Shire Council McKinlay mesquite common area eradication program Completed
    Cassowary Coast Regional Council Koster's curse (Clidemia hirta) Completed
    Southern Downs Regional Council Strategic cross border wild dog control and landholder capacity building Completed
    Longreach Regional Council Snake cactus control project Completed
    Southern Queensland NRM (formerly South West NRM) Collaborative Area Management Phase 3 Completed
    Hinchinbrook Shire Council Effective management of coastal feral pig population in the Hinchinbrook Shire Completed
  • Round 2.2

    Funding of $1.9 million was allocated in 2018 to support Local Governments in regional areas to capacity build with the aim of increasing and improving landholders' pest management activities through support and mentoring.

    Organisation Project nameStatus*
    RAPAD QLD wild dog control coordinators project In delivery
    Southern Downs Regional Council SDRC Invasive Pests Control Scheme - a model for Queensland local government Completed
    Barcoo Shire Council Capacity building of Barcoo Shire landowners to meeting biosecurity obligations In delivery
    Winton Shire Council Capacity building of Winton Shire Council landowners to improve biosecurity obligations and responsibilities including wild dog management In delivery
    Maranoa Regional Council Pests without borders In delivery
    Barcaldine Regional Council Barcaldine Regional Council - Good Neighbour Program Completed
    Bulloo Shire Council Bulloo Shire biosecurity enhancement project Completed
  • Round 3

    Funding of $7 million was allocated in 2019 for invasive plant and animal projects, including wild dog cluster fencing, wild pig and invasive plant control projects.

    Organisation Project nameStatus*
    RAPAD Central Western Queensland Round 3 cluster fencing program In delivery
    Fitzroy Basin Association Dawson and Isaac Catchment integrated pest control (DICIPC) In delivery
    Western Downs Regional Council Utilising all tools in the toolbox for wild dogs in the Western Downs Regional Council In delivery
    Maranoa Regional Council Maranoa Collaborative Area Management Project - Stage 3 In delivery
    Goondiwindi Regional Council Goondiwindi Regional Council Stage 3 Cluster Fencing project In delivery
    Southern Gulf NRM Flinders River Catchment prickly acacia eradication program In delivery
    Whitsunday Regional Council Increasing local government capacity in feral animal control programs in the Whitsunday Region and to improve economic and environmental outcomes In delivery
    Southern Downs Regional Council Building a sustainable sheep and wool industry through exclusion fencing in the Southern Downs In delivery
    Southern Queensland NRM QFPI Round 3 - Southern Queensland NRM In delivery
  • Round 4

    Funding of $1 million was allocated in 2020 for invasive plant and animal control projects, including wild dog, European fox, yellow crazy ants, capacity building and invasive plant and control projects.

    Organisation

    Project Name

    Status*

    Bulloo Shire Council

    Bulloo Shire Invasive Animal Management Project

    In delivery

    Southern Queensland NRM

    QFPI Round 4 - SQL Hudson Pear

    In delivery

    Fitzroy Basin Association

    Fitzroy Basin Coordinated Action for Pest Control

    In delivery

    Gladstone Regional Council

    Central Queensland Fox Control

    In delivery

    Goondiwindi Regional Council

    Coordinated Cactus Control

    In delivery

    Whitsunday Regional Council

    Whitsunday Yellow Crazy Any Baiting and Surveillance Program

    In delivery

    Wide-Bay Burnett Regional Organisations of Council

    Halting the march down the Burnett – A cross-jurisdictional approach for the management of rubber vine and hymenachne in the Burnett catchment

    In delivery

  • Round 5

    Funding of $5 million was allocated in 2021 for invasive plant and animal control projects, with a focus on cluster fencing, these projects will continue to deliver on supporting the reinvigoration of the sheep regions of across Queensland.

    Organisation

    Project Name

    Status*

    RAPAD

    Central & North West Queensland Round 5 Cluster Fencing Program

    In delivery

    Goondiwindi Regional Council

    Goondiwindi Regional Council Stage 4 Cluster Fence Project

    In delivery

    Murweh Shire Council

    Murweh Shire Cluster Fencing Initiative

    In delivery

    Paroo Shire Council

    Paroo Shire Exclusion Fence Project

    In delivery

    Balonne Shire Council

    Balonne Shire Wild Dog Exclusion Cluster Fencing

    In delivery

    Western Downs Regional Council

    Cluster Fencing in Western Downs

    In delivery

  • Round 6

    Funding of $1.4 million was allocated in 2021 for invasive plant and animal control projects and a Local Government Assistance Program, these projects will continue to deliver on supporting the regions in developing ongoing biosecurity legacies.

    Sub-Project 1
    Invasive Plants and Animals
    Funding of $964,888 was allocated in 2021 for invasive plants and animals control projects across the state to support the increased awareness and building capacity of local governments and landholders to undertake on ground control activities in local government regions across Queensland.

    Organisation

    Project Name

    Status*

    Herbert Cane Productivity Services Limited Project Squealer Early Implementation
    Sunshine Coast Regional Council Protecting endangered riparian rainforest in the upper Maroochy River catchment utilising strategic and targeted eradication of cats claw creeper and best practice landholder engagement Early Implementation
    Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council Implementation of Weed and Pest Program Early Implementation
    Brisbane City Council A collaborative approach to the management of Yellow Crazy Ants Early Implementation
    Burdekin Shire Council Burdekin Shire Council Coordinated Feral Pig Project Early Implementation
    South Burnett Regional Council Building an Invasive species management alliance in the Burnett Early Implementation
    Terrain Natural Resource Management Management of Stevia ovata in Far North Queensland Early Implementation
    Torres Shire Council Strategic control and spread prevention of high priority vertebrate and invertebrate pests in the Torres Strait Early Implementation
    Gympie Regional Council Cat Claw Creeper capacity building community and coordinated control planning Early Implementation

    Sub-Project 2
    Local Government Assistance Program
    Funding was allocated to support Local Governments in the transition from 1080 DAF State supply to commercial solution.

    Organisation

    Organisation

    Organisation

    Balonne Shire Council

    Banana Shire Council

    Barcaldine Regional Council

    Barcoo Shire Council

    Blackall-Tambo Regional Council

    Boulia Shire Council

    Bulloo Shire Council

    Bundaberg Regional Council

    Burdekin Shire Council

    Carpentaria Shire Council

    Central Highlands Regional Council

    Charters Towers Regional Council

    Cloncurry Shire Council

    Cook Shire Council

    Croydon Shire Council

    Etheridge Shire Council

    Flinders Shire Council

    Fraser Coast Regional Council

    Gladstone Regional Council

    Goondiwindi Regional Council

    Gympie Regional Council

    Hinchinbrook Shire Council

    Issac Regional Council

    Livingstone Regional Council

    Longreach Regional Council

    Mackay Regional Council

    Maranoa Regional Council

    Mareeba Shire Council

    McKinlay Shire Council

    Moreton Bay Regional Council

    Mount Isa City Council

    Murweh Shire Council

    Noosa Shire Council

    North Burnett Regional Council

    Paroo Shire Council

    Quilpie Shire Council

    Richmond Shire Council

    Rockhampton Regional Council

    Somerset Regional Council

    South Burnett Regional Council

    Southern Down Regional Council

    Tablelands Regional Council

    Toowoomba Regional Council

    Western Downs Regional Council

    Whitsunday Regional Council

    Winton Shire Council

     

*Status

  • Early implementation: the project is being rolled out and whilst some on-ground works may have started, others are still being developed
  • In delivery: all on-ground works and project activities are in full delivery
  • Complete: the final project report has been submitted and finalised