Pest & invasive animals
Restricted and prohibited pest animals seriously threaten the natural environment, Queensland's primary industries, livestock and human health.
Everyone has a general biosecurity obligation to minimise risks associated with pest animals under their control. You are not expected to know about all types of pest animals; however, you are expected to know about pest animals that you could potentially come across as part of your day-to-day activities.
Listed below are the species which mainly affect our region. Follow the links to find out more about each pest, including the problems they cause, what we are doing to manage the populations and how you can help:
The pest animals below are not currently listed in legislation but do have impacts. Some could also become significant pests in the future. We aim to provide advice and support to help manage them:
Cane toads
We provide ongoing funding to support Watergum's Cane Toad Challenge program. The funding is used to teach the community how to identify and manage cane toads on private property, especially around small bodies of water.
The grant also supports community 'toad busting' activities within selected Council parkland areas. Toad busting focuses on safely removing mature cane toads, guide by experts to ensure native species are protected.
For details on how to attend these activities, visit Watergum's Cane Toad Challenge website
You can also learn more about native frogs and other wildlife through our Naturally GC events
Nuisance native animals
Native animals are not pest animals, however sometimes their behaviours can impact people. Local native species which are often considered to be nuisance animals include flying foxes, ibis, magpies, noisy minors, pigeons, native rodents, possums, and snakes.
All native wildlife is protected under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and cannot harmed. Learn more about how to manage nuisance native animals.
Management plan
The Gold Coast Biosecurity Management Plan 2019–2024 is a statutory requirement of the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014. It highlights our commitment to partnering with stakeholders to help reduce pest impacts.
Pest animal trapping schedule
A schedule of pest animal trapping undertaken throughout the region can be found in City Alerts.
Report a sighting
To report sightings of feral pests, click on the following button and scroll down to 'Pest animals' to complete our online form.
Report a problem – Animals