Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

Low (1999) surmised that this fungus may emerge as a ‘greater agent of extinction in Australia
than any feral animal, except perhaps the fox’.
Council needs to ensure that it can identify emerging disease issues that threaten local diversity
and collaborate with other lead agencies to effectively manage disease risks. The fact that
Australia is an island continent and that native plants and animals have evolved in isolation
means that they have no natural immunity or resistance to introduced diseases. Disease may
be a secondary factor but when compounded with others such as habitat loss, climatic stress,
reduced food resources and competition with other species, diseases may be the tipping point
for species extinction. Phytophthora, which is a root borne disease that results in serious
dieback in plants, is also a serious issue for Gosford. It was responsible for example for the loss
of 6,000 hectares of eucalypt forest in East Gippsland (Low 1999). As a soil borne pathogen it is
important that Council procedures are put in place to identify where it occurs and to eliminate
the further spread of the disease.
A - 7.6
Companion Animals
Domestic cats and dogs can also be predators of native animals and can interfere with and
impact on native animals and ecosystems. They may prey on animals for food or out of instinct
or for sport. Even well fed cats can still have the desire to hunt and kill for fun. Whilst the impact
of feral cats is well documented (Dickman 1996) the impacts of domestic cat predation on native
species has been the subject of some dispute. One difficulty in determining possible impacts is
that domestic cats may from time to time roam or be partially feral. Domestic cats and dogs can
also become feral as a result
of being abandoned.
Some studies that have found that there was significant predation from domestic cats
(Robertson 1998). Robertson’s study was based on a telephone survey of cat owners. He found
that the frequency of predation of domestic cats was influenced by the amount of time that the
cat spent outside, the agility of the cat and whether deterrents such as bell collars were used
(Robertson 1998). Also Turner and Meister (1988), as quoted by Robertson, found that house
cats have shifted their instinctive behaviour for nocturnal activity and that they were as active in
preying on animals during the day as at night time. Turner and Meister also found that mammals
were either eaten near the place of capture or carried home, whilst invertebrates and smaller
animals were devoured at the place of capture.
Figure 7.7 A baby blue tongue lizard that was attacked by a cat and required antibiotics. It was cared for
by a volunteer wildlife carer. (A. Simpson). Figure 7.8 Cats can prey on native animals for
sport but the consequences are often fatal as prey can die from shock and secondary
impacts such as infection. (R. Lonie)
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 158