To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in parliament

We, the undersign draw to the attention of the House the following:-

Since bufo marinus (cane toad) was introduced into Australia from Hawaii in 1935 to control scarab beetles, a sugar cane pest in North Queensland, it has become a pest and a dangerous species itself to our wildlife and environment.

The cane toad has reproduced by the billions and has spread into Northern New South Wales and across much of the tropical wilderness region of the Northern Territory. It can breed twice a year. The female can lay 10 thousand to 30,000 eggs each breeding. The eggs can hatch in 2 to 3 days. The eggs, tadpoles and toadlets are all toxic. Some animals die if they eat them.

An adult cane toad exudes a powerful toxin over its skin from paratoid glands at the sides of its head capable of killing native predators—fish, crocodiles, dingos, snakes, goannas, quoits, and egrets—who see them as food. It causes rapid heartbeat, convulsions aid paralysis.

We, therefore, urge the Federal Government to provide substantial funds to speed up research into developing a regulator virus that scientists believe will act as a vehicle for a genetic trigger that causes the toads to stop maturing and die when still tadpoles.

We understand that it could take up to 10 years to introduce the virus to wipe out the cane toad though. In which case, before they move into sensitive areas of Western Australia like the Kimberleys, we request additional and urgent funds be provided to trap and kill manually adult cane toads, their eggs, tadpoles and toadlets. Cane toad hunters need to be trained to identity them from other similar-looking frogs.

Your petitioners call upon the House to support our urgent request for adequate funds to assist in the control and eventual eradication of bufo marinus (cane toad) from Australia.