The City's response to Yahoo News about turtle deaths at city-managed lakes, 6.3.25
Question: What council initiatives are currently in place to protect local turtle populations from foxes at the Beeliar Wetlands?
Answer: The City of Cockburn has been deeply committed to protecting the local Southwestern Snake-Necked Turtle population for many years and continues to explore ways to enhance turtle conservation.
Fox control alone will not fully protect turtles, as climate change, vehicle strike, habitat loss, and food shortages are also major factors in their decline. The City takes a multi-pronged approach, including:
• Expanding fox control efforts and monitoring predation risks
• Conducting turtle research, including population studies, in partnership with Murdoch University
• Exploring potential water supplementation to expand available habitat
• Supporting citizen science programs like the Saving Our Snake-Necked Turtle (SOSNT) project and other volunteer groups
• Improving nesting habitat for turtles through revegetation
• Installing traffic control measures to reduce instances of vehicle strike.
The City has spent $155,000 on turtle conservation in the past 12 months. This included $65,000 on all feral animal control (including $40,000 for fox control) which includes reactive fox control in recent weeks due to observed increases in fox predation rates on turtles at local lakes.
Conservation strategies are guided by data and expert research, such as turtle population studies from Murdoch University and the City is advocating for greater State Government involvement to improve fox control outcomes.
Question: Does the City acknowledge the impact foxes appear to be having on local turtle numbers, and in particular the impact removing hundreds of individuals can have on ecosystems?
Answer: Yes. The City acknowledges the concerns of community groups and shares their passion for protecting this near-threatened species.
Question: Does the City plan on increasing protections for turtles in the area or ramp up efforts to reduce fox numbers?
Answer: The City currently has one of the most extensive fox control programs in the region and doubled its fox trapping program from $20,000 to $40,000 in 2024-25 in response to increased fox activity.
Because foxes travel across Local Government boundaries, local control alone is not the most effective solution. To meet cross-boundary needs, the City has proposed a coordinated regional fox control strategy through the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance (PSWMA), which is currently being investigated by the alliance.
This strategy, including funding, is now under development. It includes funds for a regional Fox Monitoring and Targeted Control Project, an initiative the City of Cockburn began advocating for in the weeks following the devastating turtle deaths due to fox predation at Bibra Lake in May 2024.
Question: If the City is facing hurdles in doing so, what are they?
Answer: This issue goes beyond Cockburn’s borders and support and collaboration at a regional and state level is needed. This is why the City has proposed a coordinated regional fox control strategy through the PSWMA – see above response.
Perth experienced its lowest October-March rainfall period on record in 2023-2024 and these extreme weather conditions led to significant wetland drying, making turtles more vulnerable than ever before to fox predation.
While fox control is critical, climate change is a major factor driving turtle vulnerability. Dry lakebeds not only make turtles easier for predators to find but also reduce their ability to burrow and escape.