First grants awarded as part of Feral Cat Management Program
- Grants worth $500,000 allocated to five community-driven projects as part of Feral Cat Management Program
- Projects to protect native wildlife including bilbies, malleefowl and chuditch
- Grants totalling $2 million over four years to be made available
Community groups will share in $500,000 worth of grants to implement five strategic projects in the opening round of Western Australia's groundbreaking Feral Cat Management Program.
The funded projects aim to deliver a coordinated statewide approach to controlling feral cats impacting threatened native wildlife in the Wheatbelt, Great Southern, Mid West, South West and Pilbara regions.
A total of $2 million in grants will be made available over four years to help Traditional Owners, community groups and rural property owners control feral cats, as part of the State Government's WA Feral Cat Management Strategy 2023-28.
Applications for round two are now open. For more information, visit https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-primary-industries-and-regional-development/state-natural-resource-management-program
Comments attributed to Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
"Feral cats are the most destructive single species in Australia, costing the national economy $300 million per year in damage and population control measures.
"Through the Cook Government's Feral Cat Management Program, local wildlife champions throughout WA will be empowered to protect what makes our State so unique.
"I congratulate all successful recipients and look forward to celebrating the outcomes of their vital work in due course."
Round 1 Feral Cat Management approved projects
Organisation |
Region |
Project Title |
Primary objective |
Total amount of grant funded (ex GST) |
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc |
Great Southern |
"Perils of Ferals" feral cat control education |
Raise awareness of feral cats and best practice management |
$50,333 |
Peel-Harvey Catchment Council (on behalf of the WA Feral Cat Working Group) |
Statewide |
Western Australian Feral Cat Working Group |
Deliver effective communication, coordination and delivery of feral cat management |
$61,560 |
Peel-Harvey Catchment Council Inc |
Wheatbelt |
Defending Dryandra – Feral Hotspots Project |
Implement evidence-based targeted feral cat activities including control, monitoring and training for staff |
$183,865 |
Bush Heritage Australia |
Midwest South West |
Improving feral cat management by using new technologies |
Implementing landscape-scale integrated pest management to protect malleefowl and chuditch |
$123,162 |
Desert Support Services – Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Rangers |
Pilbara |
Aerial poison baiting to protect bilbies |
Protect and increase local populations of Great Bilby across Kiwirrkurra IPA |
$81,080 |