The Hon.

Greg Hunt MP
Minister for the Environment

TRANSCRIPT

2 June 2014

2GB SYDNEY
INTERVIEW WITH BEN FORDHAM

E&OE.

Topics: Action Plan for Australian Mammals, threatened species, Andrew Bolt

BEN FORDHAM:
Greg Hunt, Federal Environment Minister, is on the line. Mr Hunt, good afternoon.

GREG HUNT:
G'day, Ben.

BEN FORDHAM:
Are you a cat person?

GREG HUNT:
Look, I love cats, but I think what's been found here is that these aren't domestic cats. The research,
which is a 1000 page comprehensive study shows that we've had a real impact on Australian
mammals. So we've lost a series of species over the last 150 years in Australia, and it's continuing.
And there are a lot of invasive pests out there which cause enormous damage.

The first thing is - over the coming years - to actually wage a war on these invasive species, so pests
such as feral cats and foxes - which are literally murdering our native species. It's an absolutely
serious problem. And the second thing is to look to see whether there are any safe, long term,
scientific methods. I am exceptionally cautious about that, because the first rule is do no harm.

But only just now, I've stepped out of a meeting with the Chief Executive of the CSIRO, looking at
what are the medium-term things we can do to try to address this problem of literally millions and
millions of feral cats, each killing up to five different native species a night (inaudible)....

BEN FORDHAM:
Now the problem with the medium-term solutions - and there's nothing wrong with considering all -
but the problem with the medium-term solutions is you do get the feeling that its just putting off and
putting off what is a long-term solution, and something that would probably help a lot better; in
other words, targeted biological control.

GREG HUNT:
Well that's what I'm talking about, that's what the medium-term solution is. That's - whether or not
there are any biological controls. And in the meantime, we have to get on with directly targeting
and eradicating the species.

So there's probably three things we'll do. We're going to appoint a Threatened Species
Commissioner whose job is to get out there and make sure that where it's necessary, there's physical
action taken to eradicate these feral animals that are destroying; whether it's possums, or bilbies, or
quolls. Secondly, that we put in place - through the National Landcare Programme - incentives to
try to eradicate some of these threatening pests. And thirdly, we'll have a Green Army, which will
grow to be 15,000 young people in the field. And a significant proportion of their work will be to
focus on protecting species, such as the Tasmanian Devil, the quoll, the bilby - Australian mammals
which have been critically damaged or endangered.

BEN FORDHAM:
So in layman's terms, domestic cat owners would likely to be required to immunise their pets at
home against the disease, and then the Government would release a disease.

GREG HUNT:
Oh look, I think we are a long way away from that. That's the - the time taken for anything such as
that is a decade or more, and...

BEN FORDHAM:
What are we talking about in the short term?

GREG HUNT:
So right now, what we're talking about is actually being in the field. You create these island arks
where you fence it, you eradicate the feral pest, and then you reintroduce native species. And there's
been some pretty good work such as the bridled wallaby, the (inaudible) wombat

BEN FORDHAM:
So these would be little safe areas where these species are allowed to thrive, meanwhile they're
being killed off everywhere else?

GREG HUNT:
Well no - this is taking action immediately, something that you can do right now to protect and
encourage these species. Now, nobody creates a biological control overnight but what I am doing as
we speak - because it had not been done before - is I'm meeting literally when I leave this room,
leave this call, I go back to meeting with the CSIRO.

And beyond that we're not waiting. We're getting on with the Green Army, with National Landcare,
and the Threatened Species Commissioner. And their job is to get real action in the field.

We've just allocated $3 million for Tasmanian Devil protection - creating an area to protect them -
and another $3 million for feral pig eradication, for example, in Queensland. The feral pigs go, they
rip out the turtle nests, destroy all the turtle eggs - they eat all the turtle eggs and then destroy one of
our iconic species.

So what we want to do is basically engage trained nature reserve officers to deal with problems
such as the feral pigs and to help create enclosures which become safe spaces for magnificent
creatures such as the Tasmanian Devils.

BEN FORDHAM:
How many feral cats are out there in 2014 do they expect? Do they guess?

GREG HUNT:
Look, all up, there are the best part of 15 million feral cats, foxes, or other invasive pests that go out
and kill Australian wildlife. They can kill up to five a night, which is where the figure of up to 75
million native animals a night comes from.


BEN FORDHAM:
Okay. But just to underline your earlier comment, any suggestion about releasing some kind of
disease you think is a long way off?

GREG HUNT:
Absolutely. There's nothing which has been developed. What I am talking about is whether or not
there is something safe that can be done in a decade's time.

BEN FORDHAM:
Okay.

GREG HUNT:
But the immediate thing is get out there and eradicate these pests directly, and that's what we're
doing.

BEN FORDHAM:
And how do you eradicate them?

GREG HUNT:
Look, the fact is you can either bait or, in the case of the feral pigs, we have both the indigenous
hunters and Queensland Wildlife and Parks Service hunters who are shooting them, to be frank.

BEN FORDHAM:
Hmm. Okay. Alright. Good to talk to you, Minister, thank you. I'd better quickly ask you before you
go, considering the Prime Minister was asked the question in Question Time today - Andrew Bolt in
one corner, Malcolm Turnbull in the other - whose side are you on?

GREG HUNT:
Look, obviously I stand by my colleagues always, but I think the whole point here is there's a bit of
good-natured fun. And what Malcolm was saying is that the Prime Minister is as safe as he could
possibly be, and he is. He is as safe as he could possibly be.

Honestly, as somebody who's around the Cabinet table and in the party room, the support for the
PM is just incredibly strong. And I think there's been a bit of good-natured banter and people should
recognise it for just that.

BEN FORDHAM:
Greg Hunt, good to talk to you.

GREG HUNT:
Thanks, Ben.

(ENDS)