Tas govt pledges deer hunting changes


When elections loom it seems the hunters wants all of a sudden come back onto the tablein last ditch efforts to win votes.

Tasmania’s Liberal government would allow deer-hunting in national parks and put deer back on the menu. Premier Will Hodgman on Sunday announced a plan to change laws so appropriately licensed and registered shooters could hunt wild fallow deer in national parks in an attempt to control the population.

Getting the balance right with deer management

The Hodgman Liberal Government is ensuring a sensible and balanced approach to managing wild fallow deer.

We are maintaining our strong support for recreational deer hunting, while ensuring landholders can manage the unwanted impacts of deer, and supporting deer farming as an important livestock industry.

The Government’s response to the Legislative Council inquiry into the management of wild fallow deer, tabled in Parliament today, is based on extensive consultation with stakeholders.

It includes targeted control programs to manage unwanted deer populations in conservation reserves including investigating opportunities for regulated recreational hunting.

Further actions include:

  • Clear guidelines to reinforce Quality Deer Management (QDM) as the basis for the future management of wild fallow deer;
  • A new state-wide population census;
  • Establish a new independent Tasmanian Game Council that will advise on hunting, game management, browsing animals and deer farming;
  • Set up a new Game Services Tasmania with a primary industries focus in DPIPWE to support landholders, farmers and hunters to effectively manage deer and all issues relating to game and browsing animals;
  • Change to 5-year crop protection permits and explore further opportunities to reduce red tape to support farmers manage deer; and
  • Additional support to the deer farm industry with branding, marketing, processing opportunities and product integrity.

Tasmanian wild deer could also be on menus soon, as the Government is carefully considering allowing it to be sold as game meat.

The new game council is set to advise on the feasibility of a limited trial using special permits for deer farmers and landholders to supply wild deer products for the regulated food or restaurant trade.

The Hodgman Government’s approach to deer will also align with Tasmania’s Sustainable Agri-Food Plan and our target to grow the value of agriculture to $10 billion by 2050.

Introducing the SFFP candidates for the State Election in March 2018
Meet your SFFP Tasmanian LYONS TEAM.
Lorraine Bennett
Team Leader
Matt Allen
Carlo Di Falco
Andrew Harvey
Wayne Turale
Shane Broadby’s
Meet your SFFP Tasmanian BRADDON TEAM. click their picture to read their Bios and Election statement.
Team Leader
Brett Neal
Kim Swanson
Brenton Jones
Glen Saltmarsh
Meet your Denison and Franklin candidates.
Brendon Hext
Lorraine Bennett

Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party Tasmania Policy Summary

Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party evolved from growing discontent from within the Tasmania Rural and regional Communities. There is a wide spread view that the Major Parties have given scant regard to Tasmania’s Rural Community only calling on them during election campaigns for support. The past decade or so has seen dramatic change and challenges for rural and regional Tasmanians and their communities.

SFFP Tasmania is your political voice for all Tasmanians feeling disenfranchised, stigmatised and ignored by the major parties, Tasmanians deserve better. Our Policy platform has been formed from communication with real people in our communities with realistic aims.

SFFP believe large change starts with small, simple, community engaged ideas that are realistic and achievable.

If we obtain seats in government, the following policies will be pursued by us:

Heath Services

Demand the refunding of Preventive Rural Health Services that were vital in delivering positive health services to rural Tasmanians who it is well known have such poor health outcomes.

Adopt a rural health Policy based on prevention, improving health literacy, keeping people in their homes and out of our current overloaded, dysfunctional health system.

Demand the elected Parties adopt a bi Partisan Committee or Board that removes politics from services such as Health and Child Protection. This Board should include true staff representation from agencies, identify major deficiencies, strategies, hospital locations and capacity, staffing, policy, budgets and a long term 20-year plan for the future.

Staffing for medical facilities has always been a major concern. Explore the option of an expanded Nurse Training Program and

Campus based in Tasmania to provide career and employment opportunities for future staffing requirements.

Community

Deliver education programs into primary and secondary schools to educate children about how food is grown, produced and harvested for the table. This will be achieved by training and increasing teachers and support staff across the State.

Increase teaching support staff to assist children with basic learning difficulties.

Insist that mobile phone blackspots for rural Tasmanians be eliminated as with the withdrawing of localised emergency services, rural phone coverage should be considered a basic service.

SFFP will vigorously protect individual rights to enjoy the outdoor way of life, now and into the future with regard to traditional Tasmania activities such as fishing, hunting, 4 wd access, trail bike riding, marine fishing, camping and bushwalking.

Defend the access and ownership of lawful firearm owners for recreational activities such as hunting, shotgun and dog hunting for wallabies, target shooting, trap shooting and promote this sport as a lawful activity

Oppose over regulation of Firearm Owners that achieves nothing other than targeting lawful firearm owners instead of criminals.

We do not accept the concept of some to remove poker machines from rural and regional pubs and clubs. Why, because SFFP rejects fundamentally using public funds to buy jobs from people which will lead to rural and regional business disadvantaged compared to major businesses. The recentpublic funds used during the Forestry restructure is example of inept policy.

SFFP believes a higher proportion of gaming revenue should be allocated to education and targeted harm minimisation programs for those with an addiction to gaming.

SFFP believes at its core that people have, within reason, the individual rights to choose the lawful activity they participate in and the way they live their lives.

Individuals should be responsible for their own decisions and Government interference should be minimal.

Re-fund Theatre and Art Grants for use within regional and Rural Tasmania and promoting these in local schools.

Appoint an Art Minister portfolio, to ensure culture and the Arts receives the attention it deserves.

Remove vehicle registration fees for 1 vehicle (per family) for Tasmanian pensioners. Third party insurance payment still required.

Grant free public transport access to aged pensioners.

Have a liaison policy enacted between Police, local Councils, IFS, Wildlife Rangers, Hydro to address and enforce the litter problem that plagues our wild places.

Assist councils to provide free periodic bulk rubbish collections

Agriculture (Lake, Land & Sea) and Biosecurity

Introduction of Help the Farmer Help the Community program. A program to assist the farmer feed struggling Tasmania and help to minimise food waste. This is by processing the tonnes of quality vegetables classed as“seconds” which are currently dumped. Farmers will receive incentives such as Hydro, Tax and Diesel rebates commensorate with produce donated. This is a cost negative proposal with participating Primary Producers. Working with Commuity organisations such as “ Second Bite, Loaves and Fishers” Devonport, this produce will promote job training, healthy eating, supporting school breakfast programs, assisting those in need of quality meals in times of hardship.

We will contine to expand the agriculture, forestry and mining industries, balanced by the sustainable utlisation of all natural resouces.

Push for a much need injection of funds to Fisheries and Game Services for management and enforcement to sustain our wild fisheries both Inland and Marine environment and our world class wild fallow deer herd.

Increase funding significantly for bio security state-wide to protect marine and land-based agriculture from threats such as fruit fly, blueberry rust, POMS, green snails and the ever-growing threats of other threats to our farmers and growers. Increase security at airports and Ports with detection dogs and officers including investigating the impact of bilge water dumping from visiting shipping.

Introduction of car and boat wash bays for suspect vehicles at the place of arrival. Our island state cannot afford to permit future insect pest incursions.

Demand that the IFS (Inland Fishery Service) abandon their current proposed 10 year plan and develop a more robust comprehensive inclusive policy to restore our wild fishery.

Support aquatic farming practices which are proven to be sustainable and not damaging to our marine environment. We strongly oppose the Okhampton Bay operation, proposed King Island lease and deplore the destruction of Macquarie Harbor. We will never support commercial Salmon Farms in areas of marine sensitivity that do not have broad LOCAL community acceptance.

Tourism

Promote funding for local rural Councils for the construction and expanding sites for free or low-cost camping sites and basic infrastructure such as refuse, toilets & dump stations to both protect against illegal dumping of rubbish, human waste & keep the high numbers of travelling tourists in rural areas as long as possible. Phone service is vital in this regard.

Implement a policy of subsidised travel on the Spirit of Tasmanian for interstate anglers bringing boats to Tasmania for recreational fishing use. Thus, promoting and supporting tourism, hospitality, small business through recreational fishing.

Cancel National Park fees currently paid by licenced inland anglers wishing to fish within Park boundaries.

Allow visitors visiting National Parks to have restrained and under control pets with them.

Abolishing fees to allow Tasmanian pensioners access to their National Parks.

SFFP will carefully monitor Government plans to restrict public access to our National Parks, Crown Land & reserves and any proposal to expand WHA that preclude traditional Tasmanian Outdoor activities such as bushwalking, horse trail riding, motorised access, fishing, camping and hunting.

Promote the World Fly Fishing Championships which will be held in Tasmania & show cased around the world and use this to promote this State to the World audience promoting tourism.

Introduce information cards, in all the major tourist languages to assist them with understanding what is permitted and not into this State, both at entry points and car hire locations and other relevant locations throughout the state.

Law and order

Insist that criminals and Game thieves using firearms illegally receive severe penalties that truly reflect public sentiment.

Create positive working relationships with agencies such as TFGA, SSAA, ADA, Tasmania Police to ensure Tasmanian recreational hunters and firearm owners are properly consulted BEFORE change is forced upon them.

Developing SOP, Standard Operating Procedures for Tasmania operators conducting storage Inspections to ensure a standard is set and achieved.

Business & Infrastructure

SFFP will help protect local businesses by ensuring a buy local first policy, particularly with government contracts.

Promote the decentralisation of government services to rural communities

Commit to addressing public transport, both commuter and tourism by exploring the option of investing in the future of rail throughout the state, both passenger and tourist trains.

Revisit Macquarie Point, where this should be a terminal for bus and rail, to assist with commuter and tourists alike,

Protect and stimulate local businesses by ensuring we put Tasmania’s business interests first and using them where possible with Government contracts in lieu of National assets.

Re allocate police to front line duties by replacing police with trained operators to do none essential activities. For example,conducting firearms safe inspections.

Support the need to significantly increase police numbers and increase staffing in rural areas.

 

 

 


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