KTBs New Toadbusting DVD 2008 release showing how they have spent three years of   920,000 volunteer hours

At the cane toad forum and round table held in Darwin last week following the Invasive Species CRC sponsored National Vertebrate Pests Conference, the on the ground community groups catching toads and following the cane toad fronts met with the cane toad research scientists to find we are all facing problems arising from one fundamental issue:

The lack of national leadership in the cane toad campaign

“There are many who put up their hand to lead but are simply not good at it, or those that are good at it are not putting up their hands,” SrDel Collins toadbuster, Kimberley identity, KTB Board Member and treasurer and acting secretary, Kununurra community nurse, Car Rally veteran, Kununurra Hotel bouncer Friday nights for charity.

The KTBs believe that Effective National Cane Toad Leadership might lead to:

“You would think that this would have been done in response to the declaration in April 2005 by the federal government that the cane toad poses a national threat to Australia’s biodiversity,” Sarah Brett KTB Board Member, Kununurra veterinarian, Kimberly Wildlife Centre.

“What these documents would mean is the objectives could be set and funding applied much more effectively than it presently is”, Sandy Boulter. “From Rob Capon and Andrew Hayes from the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, we heard of exciting results from new cane toad research into the bufo toxin but sadly and surprisingly that the research grant for this line of research runs out in 6 weeks,” she added.

“What this could lead to is best use of each cane toad dollar and nationally coordinated assistance to on ground community groups. This office must be established as soon as possible while awaiting the abatement and management plans identified above”, Lee Scott-Virtue President KTBs, Field Coordinator KTBs.

The Kimberley Toad Busters have run their enormous campaign as volunteers for nearly three years. They have been calling for Leadership, and State and National Coordination of the Cane Toad Issue, and for funding for KTB administrative help and staff support.

“When the federal government declared in April 2005 that the cane toad is a national threat to Australia’s biodiversity, there was hope that leadership, properly resourced long term research and appropriately resourced on ground action might follow. While it is acknowledged that there has been some action on two of these needs, it is a lack of well informed government leadership leading to a lack of good communication channels between everyone working to save Australia’s already threatened biodiversity from cane toads, that is benefitting the cane toad as much as Australian ecosystems it is presently invading,” Sandy Boulter Kimberley Toad Busters Board Member.

Last year, in response to attending meetings in Perth at their own cost and time, and providing the written follow up submissions written in their own time as requested by the WA State government, the KTB volunteers called for a State Cane Toad Co-ordinator based equally in Kununurra and Perth with specific State focussed objectives. The KTBs found it affirming when the calls made at the Darwin Round Table from cane toad campaigners all around Australia so closely echoed their own calls to the WA government.

“Kununurra people are doers and are willing to get their hand dirty if it will do the job”, Terry Hunt of Nina’s Jewellery, Kununurra who finance publication of the KTB education brochures.As KTB Sandy Boulter reported to the Darwin Cane Toad Workshop on 13 June, “KTB leaders live this sentiment and know that the KTB volunteerism model so successful for a rural community such as Kununurra relies heavily on letting volunteers be in charge of their own efforts, while being appropriately supported and celebrated”.

Jeff Hayley of Triple J Tours Kununurra, KTB supporter, donor and champion says on the KTBs recently released toadbusting DVD that the indigenous and non-indigenous communities are engaged together on this campaign and that there has been great indigenous support for and participation in the KTB campaign. Papers from USA economists Stephanie and Steven Shwiff presented at the Vertebrate Pests Conference suggest that economic modelling of financial support for community groups such as the Kimberley Toad Busters could demonstrate how benefits from funding on ground community campaigns such as the KTB campaign can have wide ranging flow on economic benefits in other areas of the Kununurra economy. The social dividends of the campaign are widely acknowledged.

See KTBs at www.canetoads.com.au

Use of the photos in this media release must be authorised by the KTBs and the photographer acknowledged

For more information contact:

DVD: Ring Sandy Boulter 0427 508 582 for a copy; KTB Board Member and Perth based Friends of the KTBs

Stephanie and Steven Shwiff: Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance Texas A&M University – Commerce, Commerce, TX 75429, USA

Terry Hunt: Nina’s Jewellery, Kununurra 08 9168 2646

Lee Scott-Virtue: Away in Field until 26 June 2008

Rob Capon and Andrew Hayes : Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland