The excitement was palpable at the 'state-of-the-art' baiting shed for Inverell, the newest base equipped to fight pests like feral pigs, wild dogs, foxes and rabbits across the Shire and beyond.
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Purely funded by the state government, it's far more that 'just a shed' for the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (LLS).
The cutting of the ribbon on Wednesday did nothing to remove the metaphorical bow tied around the building, a gift already enjoyed by Inverell's biosecurity officers Elli Keyte, Dan McCudden and Karen Heap.
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"It's so much better than we'd ever hoped for," Mrs Keyte laughed as she proudly showed off the shiny new shed to Northern Tablelands MP and Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall.
The $684,000 shed, located at the Inverell Research Station, includes a bait preparation area, cool room, veterinary lab, Travelling Stock Reserve chemical storage and workshop, and storage for pest control resources. It also features a designated bait collection point will make it far easier for customers to access.
Not to mention superb ventilation: a breath of relief for noses unfortunately accustomed to Vics Vapour Rub, a common tool used at the old Evan's Street location.
With a larger facility, greater capacity and better efficiency, the crew is set up to help farmers and other customers combat pest animals in the Inverell area.
However, they can still arrange bait collection through their Biosecurity Officers as they've done in the past.
Check out this mini-tour in the Times' video below:
"This makes it even easier for landholders to get involved in collective control programs," Mr Marshall said, noting it was a fight better won with collaboration rather than solo efforts.
But it's not just for larger pests: it also has the capacity for the Northern Tablelands LLS team to respond quickly to emerging threats, such as locusts.
"Feral pigs have always been a problem," Mr McCudden explained. "But wild dogs are also emerging as a big threat."
Ms Heap added that the end of the drought brought, and will bring, an "influx of pest animals", and is grateful they're now prepared to go head-to-head with the threats.
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