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 supports regionally agreed cluster fencing arrangements, as well as other invasive plants and animal control and capacity building projects across Queensland.

Round 8(a): Feral pig coordination — Biosecurity preparedness

Applications for Round 8(a) are closed and under assessment.

Email QldFeralPestInit@daf.qld.gov.au for information about the assessment process, quoting your application reference number.

About the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative

Since 2015, the Queensland Government, through the QFPI, has allocated over $29.2 million to assist regional communities across Queensland with:

  • the construction of cluster fences in priority sheep-growing areas within Queensland
  • the control of invasive plants and animals
  • capacity building projects
  • biosecurity preparedness through feral pig management.

This investment has been complemented with $14 million from the Federal Government.

The QFPI provides funding to eligible organisations, including:

  • Regional Organisations of Councils (ROCs) on behalf of a minimum of 3 participating local governments
  • regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) groups
  • Land and Sea Ranger groups or Aboriginal Land Councils
  • state farming organisations
  • incorporated industry organisations.

Eligible organisations should identify agreed project proponents and develop project proposals in consultation with other stakeholders, which may include:

  • primary producers
  • local governments
  • regional NRM organisations
  • landcare groups
  • catchment management groups
  • local training and employment organisations
  • indigenous groups
  • environmental organisations
  • other community 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
    • Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.
  • Government:
    • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
    • Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy
    • 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 in drought-affected areas.

    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 Complete
    South West NRM Collaborative Area Management Phase 2 Complete
    Goondiwindi Regional Council Goondiwindi Regional Council coordinated feral pest project Complete
    Maranoa Regional Council Maranoa Regional Collaborative Area Management Plan Complete
    Quilpie Shire Council Quilpie Shire/SWRED wild dog on ground action plan Complete
    RAPAD Central Western Queensland and Flinders Region strategic fencing initiative Complete
    Desert Channels Queensland Tackling prickly acacia through aligned weed management Complete
    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 Complete

  • Round 2

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

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

  • 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 Complete
    Barcoo Shire Council Capacity building of Barcoo Shire landowners to meeting biosecurity obligations Complete
    Winton Shire Council Capacity building of Winton Shire Council landowners to improve biosecurity obligations and responsibilities including wild dog management Complete
    Maranoa Regional Council Pests without borders Complete
    Barcaldine Regional Council Barcaldine Regional Council - Good Neighbour Program Complete
    Bulloo Shire Council Bulloo Shire biosecurity enhancement project Complete

  • Round 3

    Funding of $7 million was allocated in 2019 for invasive plant and animal projects. This included wild dog cluster fencing, wild dog control programs, feral pig management, and invasive plant control projects.

    Organisation Project nameStatus*
    RAPAD Central Western Queensland Round 3 cluster fencing program Complete
    Fitzroy Basin Association Dawson and Isaac Catchment integrated pest control (DICIPC) Complete
    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 Complete
    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 Complete

  • Round 4

    Funding of $1 million was allocated in 2020 for invasive plant and animal control projects, with a focus on projects that cross a local government boundary and leave a legacy for the region. This included wild dogs, European foxes, yellow crazy ants, capacity building, and invasive plant control projects.

    Organisation

    Project name

    Status*

    Bulloo Shire Council

    Bulloo Shire Invasive Animal Management Project

    Complete

    Southern Queensland NRM

    QFPI Round 4 - SQL Hudson Pear

    In delivery

    Fitzroy Basin Association

    Fitzroy Basin Coordinated Action for Pest Control

    Complete

    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

    Complete

  • 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 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

    Withdrawn

    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 plant and animal control projects to support the increased awareness and capacity building of local governments and landholders to undertake on-ground control activities.

    Organisation

    Project name

    Status*

    Herbert Cane Productivity Services Limited Project Squealer In delivery
    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 In delivery
    Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council Implementation of Weed and Pest Program In delivery
    Brisbane City Council A collaborative approach to the management of Yellow Crazy Ants In delivery
    Burdekin Shire Council Burdekin Shire Council Coordinated Feral Pig Project In delivery
    South Burnett Regional Council Building an Invasive species management alliance in the Burnett In delivery
    Terrain Natural Resource Management Management of Stevia ovata in Far North Queensland In delivery
    Torres Shire Council Strategic control and spread prevention of high priority vertebrate and invertebrate pests in the Torres Strait Withdrawn
    Gympie Regional Council Cat Claw Creeper capacity building community and coordinated control planning In delivery

    Sub-project 2
    Local Government Assistance Program
    Funding was allocated to support local governments in the transition from the 1080 DAF State supply to commercial solutions.

    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

    		 

  • Round 7

    Grants totalling almost $1 million were allocated in 2023 to local governments and Natural Resource Management groups across Queensland for invasive plant and animal control projects, with a focus on projects that encouraged the use of novel approaches to improving biosecurity systems.

    Organisation Project nameStatus*
    Fraser Coast Regional Council Salvinia Weed Biocontrol Facility In delivery
    Terrain NRM Strategic audit of emerging weeds under the Upper Tully/Murry catchments In delivery
    Cape York Natural Resource Management Ltd Increasing the reliability of data collection under the Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance Early implementation
    Southern Queensland NRM - trading as SQ Landscapes Reversing the declining participation rates in strategic pest control initiatives in Southern Queensland. Early implementation
    City of Logan Upper Oxley Creek Landholder Invasive Weed Capacity Building Project 2022-23 In delivery
    Quilpie Shire Council Feral Scan Pest Management Data Capture Project Early implementation
    Hinchinbrook Shire Council Invasive Weed Audit for Improved Planning in the Hinchinbrook Shire Withdrawn
    Gulf Savannah NRM Monitoring weed distribution for coordinated control in the remote Gulf Savannah In delivery
    Whitsunday Regional Council Quantifying feral pig impacts on carbon abatement and biodiversity in coastal wetland ecosystems Withdrawn
    Western Downs Regional Council Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Soil Pathogen and Feral Pig Management in the Bunya Landscape In delivery
    Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board Consolidating the Rabbit Fence: Working together to keep rabbits out of Queensland Early implementation

  • Round 8(a)

    Funding of $2.163 million is available for the employment of one or more, up to a maximum of four, feral pig management coordinator positions to support the initiation and delivery of effective feral pig management for both private and public land managers.

    Applications are currently under assessment.

*Status

  • Withdrawn: the project is no longer proceeding
  • 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

Last updated: 25 Mar 2024