Cost Effective Feral Animal Exclusion Fencing for Areas of High
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Cost Effective Feral Animal Exclusion Fencing for Areas of High Conservation Value in Australia Cost Effective Feral Animal Exclusion Fencing for Areas of High Conservation Value in Australia A report for the: Australian Government The Department of the Environment and Heritage Prepared by: Kirstin Long and Alan Robley Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Sustainability and Environment Heidelberg, Melbourne July 2004 Cost Effective Feral Animal Exclusion Fencing for Areas of High Conservation Value in Australia by Long, K and Robley, A. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication. ISBN: 0642 549923 Published July 2004 © Commonwealth of Australia 2004 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available from the Department of the Environment and Heritage. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: Director Threat Abatement and Threatened Species Section Department of the Environment and Heritage GPO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601 Cover photos: (anticlockwise from top left) A Gate at the Little Desert Malleefowl Sanctuary (Vic.), the fence at the Living Desert Wildlife Park (NSW), a malleefowl road-sign in NW Victoria, the cliff edge of the Venus Bay Conservation Park fence (SA), flourishing flora within the Arid Recovery Project enclosure (SA), a bettong road-sign within the Venus Bay Conservation Park, and the seaward end of the Peron Peninsula fence (WA; photo by C. Sims, CALM, WA). All photos but the last were taken by Kirstin Long. ii Cost Effective Feral Animal Exclusion Fencing for Areas of High Conservation Value in Australia Table of contents Executive summary and recommendations . v 1 Introduction . 1 1.1 To fence or not to fence? . 2 1.2 Threatened native fauna that may benefit from feral exclusion fencing . 3 1.3 Limitations of this report . 3 2 Fence design review methods. 4 2.1 Knowledge review . 4 2.2 Survey of existing fences. 4 3 Survey results . 6 4 Environmental and landscape considerations. 8 4.1 Topography. 8 4.2 Substrate. 9 4.3 Waterways and peninsulas . 9 5 Maintenance . 13 6 Reducing the challenge to fences. 15 7 General fence features. 16 7.1 Aprons . 16 7.2 Gates . 17 7.3 Electrification. 18 7.3.1 Spacing and height of electric wires . 19 7.3.2 Australian electrical fencing standards . 20 7.3.3 Fire risk posed by electrical fences. 20 7.4 Materials and other design concepts . 20 7.4.1 Pine vs steel posts . 20 7.4.2 Wire netting . 21 8 Assessments of fence design and animal behaviour . 22 8.1 Fox and cat fencing. 22 8.1.1 Fox behaviour . 22 8.1.2 Cat behaviour . 23 8.1.3 Floppy panelled fences . 24 8.1.4 Floppy-top fences . 24 8.1.5 Rigid overhangs. 24 8.1.6 Electric wires in overhangs and upper fence sections . 24 8.1.7 Metal bands . 26 8.1.8 Capped designs. 26 8.1.9 Sloping electric fox fences. 26 8.2 Rabbit behaviour and fencing. 27 8.3 Feral pig behaviour and fencing . 29 8.4 Feral goat behaviour and fencing . 29 8.5 Dingo/wild dog behaviour and fencing. 30 9 Non-target animals. 33 9.1 Mitigating the threats of fences to native fauna . 33 10.2 Keeping native fauna within the enclosed area . 36 10 Monitoring for feral animal breaches . 37 11 Knowledge gaps . 38 12 Conclusion . 40 Cost Effective Feral Animal Exclusion Fencing for Areas of High Conservation Value in Australia iii 13 Acknowledgments . 41 References/bibliography. 42 Personal communications . 46 Appendix 1: Fencing managers and pest researchers contacted. 47 Appendix 2: Species threatened by either by foxes, feral cats, feral rabbits, feral goats, feral pigs or feral dogs/dingoes . 49 Appendix 3: Survey questionnaire . 52 Catalogue of Fence Designs . C-1 Table of Contents . C-2 Figures and Tables Figure 1: An example of how to successfully negotiate a boulder escarpment. 8 Figure 2. Recommended location of a fence that crosses a waterway.. 9 Figure 3. Waterway crossings.. 10.