Centre for Invasive Species Solutions funding expires amid pests and weed crisis

The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS) is the national organisation leading the charge against feral animals and weeds, and its behind wildly successful pest control projects including the K5 rabbit virus and a sodium nitrate bait that's deadly to pigs but harmless to non-target species.

But the research and development organisation's initial five years of funding, worth a total of $20 million, expired in June. The former government granted it a lifeline, providing another 12 months of funding in the March budget. But CISS has already been forced to wind down a number of projects, including its rabbit biocontrol program.

Agricultural and environmental leaders said it was more important than ever to increase pest control research pointing to the recent State of the Environment report that highlighted the damage invasive species wrecked across the country, and the threat of foot and mouth disease, which would be impossible to control if introduced into wild pig and deer populations.

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Invasive Species Council chief executive Andrew Cox said it would be a disaster for agriculture communities and the environment if CISS lost its federal funding, which would have "cascading impacts".

"There is no magic alternative if that research and development just stops, pest control advancement will wither and die," he said.

"Any pest control research often takes 10 years to be ready to use in the field - rabbit biocontrol is a good example - so you have to be thinking a decade ahead."

Mr Cox called for a government commitment of $50-million over five years to fund CISS, which he described as the "conveyor belt to upgrade your toolbox".

"Imagine a worker coming in with rusty tools from the 1950s, that's where we're headed," he said.

"We need tools in our toolbox with the best technology. Without CISS we won't have that modern tool box.

"Every dollar spent on weed biocontrol returns $23. Every time you save a farmer an hour of work, that improves their bottom line. Every time you prevent the environment from declining, it has a tangible value."

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said his department was considering the CISS funding request and fired a shot at the former Coalition government for kicking the can down the road when it granted just a 12-month funding extension.

"One of the major criticisms of the former government is they never delivered long-term sustainable funding for biosecurity, they preferred an ad-hoc short-term basis," Mr Watt said.

"We're working our way through a range of programs that only have short-term funding to determine funding arrangements and provide certainty."

READ ALSO: Watt 'working day and night' to stop FMD, puts new plan to states

Chris Grove, a farmer from the central west of NSW who chairs National Farmers Federation farming system committee, said it would be "unforgivable" to cut funding to CISS and interrupt its research pipeline.

"Bear in mind we are facing one of the greatest threats with foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease in Indonesia, while dealing with Varroa mite in NSW," Mr Grove said.

"Feral animal control cannot be emphasised enough in this current climate, particularly with the risk of a major exotic disease incursion.

"[CISS] has done very important work, but it's not something that happens overnight. It's a constant work in progress and we have to make sure we continue that research and development pipeline."