‘Feral pigs sighted in Gold Coast school’: Council to crackdown on invasive pests

Feral pigs have rarely been sighted on the Gold Coast in recent years, but a bumper breeding season is causing concerns for council and local sugar cane farmers.

Gold Coast Councillor, Mark Hammell, said the invasive animals had recently been sighted in northern suburbs including, Jacobs Well, Ormeau, Norwell and Alberton.

“Wild pigs aren’t new to this end of the city,” he said.

“Wild pigs in these kind of numbers, it’s been a few decades since this many wild pigs have been sighted.

“It’s absolutely a concern to local agricultural producers in the area.”

The concern is the feral pests will damage sugar cane fields on the city’s northern fringe.

Cr Hammell, who lives on a rural property on the northern Gold Coast, said weather conditions have likely led to the increase in feral pig numbers.

“The six months of wet weather we had at the start of the year during summer .. perfect for breeding,” he said.

“This many numbers jumping so quickly can only really be explained by having a wonderful breeding season for them.

“Now it’s what we do to get them back under control is going to be the issue.”

Cr Hammell said there needed to be a joint effort between council’s Vector Security, which is the local government equivalent of Biosecurity Queensland, and local cane growers.

“We have had sightings of these pigs inside a couple of schools as well,” he said.

“There has been several sighting at LORDS (Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School) just on the edge of the Pimpama River.

“They’re not a concern to students, the sightings have mainly been on camera over the weekend.” 

The feral pigs are thought to be breeding in thick bushland along the Pimpama River and the concern is they’ll spread into the nearby sugar cane fields.

Cr Hammell said farmers would previously shoot or bait wild pigs when their numbers surged in the 1980s.

“The chemical used in the baiting wasn’t particularly good for the rest of the environmental (food) chain so it’s been discontinued,” he said.

“There are new more environmentally sensitive baiting options available now that are only fatal to wild pigs and won’t affect other animals.

“It might be a combination of both so that will be something that biosecurity looks at while working with landowners.”

The Chief Executive of Queensland Canegrowers, Dan Galligan, said feral pigs are a huge problem in the state’s north and it’s unusual to have high numbers on the northern Gold Coast.  

“In terms of what they can be like, they’re devastating,” he said.

“Once you get pigs into cane they can eat a lot of it and they can nest in the cane.

“It’s generally about the cover that the crop provides.”

The Canegrowers CEO said a recent survey of farmers, in the worst affected areas of the state, found they were spending several hours a week trying to control pig numbers. 

“It’s something that we’ll certainly have to work with farmers on the northern end of the Gold Coast to try and stop them before they get in,” said Mr Galligan.

“Once they start breeding in those areas, they’re a real problem.”

Hunting not an option

Cr Hammell warned the increase in the feral pig population on the northern end of the Gold Coast did not warrant a response from recreational hunters.   

“Compared to 30 years ago there is a lot of residential area very close to the cane fields now,” he said.

“Anyone who’s got the idea they might come down and look to trap or kill any wild pigs in the area, remember you’ll be going on private property and that’s trespassing.

“We’re not looking for any hunters to come down and take care of it for us.” 

The councillor said experts will deal with the feral animals in a sensitive manner. 

Driving hazard 

Cr Mark Hammell said the pigs also pose a risk to drivers with the animals sighted along busy roads at Norwell. 

“We would certainly caution locals or visitors to the area travelling along Norwell Road at night time or especially in the morning or dusk,” he said.  

“Be very mindful of wild pigs because they will do damage to any vehicle.”

Gallery: Cute critters that like to burrow (StarsInsider)