2004
Download
About the report
Introduced feral animals in Australia pose a serious risk to native flora and fauna communities. The Department of the Environment and Water Resources recognises in particular the impacts of European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), feral cats (Felis catus), feral goats (Capra hircus), feral pigs (Sus scrofa) and feral rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) as key threatening processes under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Exclusion fencing is increasingly being used as a tool to protect areas of high conservation value from the threats posed by vertebrate pest species. A myriad of fence designs exist for this purposes and there are currently few published guidelines available to advise conservation managers on the factors that need to be considered when assessing exclusion fence designs and when planning a fence's alignment, construction and maintenance.
Coman and McCutchan (1994) conducted a comprehensive review of fox and feral cat exclusion fencing in Australia. This current document expands on Coman and McCutchan's report by updating the available information on fox and cat exclusion fencing and including reviews of fences designed to exclude the other three mentioned species. Given the history of dingo (Canis lupus dingo) exclusion fencing in Australia (McKnight 1969) a review of these fences is also included.
See also: