About us

Australia is host to 56 invasive vertebrat­e animal species.   Of these, the ones with the most impact (in order of damage estimates) are: European Red Fox,  feral cats, rabbits, feral pigs, wild dogs, the house mouse, carp, goats, cane toads, wild horses and camels.

Foxes cost the Australian economy over $200M annually – a large part of this in environmental terms.  Rabbits are estimated to cost our agricultural industries around $113M and feral pigs $106M every year, and stock losses to wild dogs is so severe in some areas as to make production non-viable.   Altogether, it is estimated that invasive animals cost Australasia at least $720M annually in economic, environmental and social damage.

A new offensive against vertebrate pests

The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IA CRC) was funded by the Commonwealth Government in the 2004 CRC Selection Round and builds on the strong foundation provided by the previous Pest Animal Control CRC. The centre aims to counteract the impact of invasive animals through the development and application of new technologies and by integrating approaches across agencies and jurisdictions.  It is the first time that research, industry, environmental, commercial and government agencies will work together to create and apply solutions for invasive animal threats. The centre was officially launched by Senator Ian Macdonald, Australian Government Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation in August 2005.

In the context of the CRC, ‘invasives’ refers to terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates, including overabundant natives. The Invasive Animals CRC key objectives are to:

• Develop new tools and strategies to control invasive animals (including birds and freshwater fish).
• Develop new services and remove impediments to empower communities to take greater and more effective action against invasive animals.
• Advance understanding of the nature and behaviour of Australasia’s invasive animals to maximise delivery from the above objectives.
• Provide partners with mechanisms for national and international business collaboration, to facilitate route to market for products and services.
• Build greater capacity to anticipate, detect, prevent, limit or manage the impacts of existing or new invasive animals.

A total of 41 organisations are participating in the Invasive Animals CRC, as either core or supporting partners. The total comprises 36 Australian government agencies, industry bodies and small-medium enterprises, as well as seven international organisations from New Zealand, Britain and the USA.

By combining national and international skills in science, management, commerce and industry, this unique partnership aims to  deliver the means to combat existing high profile invasive animal pests as well as those that have the potential to cause catastrophic impacts in the future.

The Invasive Animals CRC is structured around five central programs:

Terrestrial products and strategies

Program Leader, Glen Saunders. Bait and toxin development, fertility control, emerging solutions such as attractants and molecular techniques.

Freshwater products and strategies

Program Leader, Wayne Fulton. Daughterless technologies, biocides, pheromone trapping, environmental manipulation.

Detection and Prevention

Program Leader, Elaine Murphy. Improved risk management, early warning systems, national action plans, bio-economics, ecological solutions, decision support systems

Uptake of products and strategies

Program Leader, Steve Lapidge. Demonstration sites, community dialogue, commercialisation, IA CRC Offshore.

Preparedness through Education

Program Leader, Stephen Sarre.  Postgraduate and honours programs, community engagement, practitioner training, researcher skills.

The CRC model provides a way to draw together the critical mass required to make a real difference in vertebrate pest management. Outcomes will help solve the prominent and costly impacts of invasive species on agricultural, environmental and social values. The Invasive Animals CRC creates a continuum of stakeholders from perception of a problem, through R&D to marketing, distribution and on-ground application.