Toad News
6 July 2006
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THE STOP THE TOAD FOUNDATION
AND KIMBERLEY TOADBUSTERS
Current as at 6 July 2006
Who are the KTB?
See www.canetoads.com.au
for the objective and work of the KTB. The Stop The Toad Foundation
(STTF) acknowledges the enthusiastic work of the KTB.
What support has the STTF provided to
the KTB?
The STTF provided about $4,000 toward the KTB preliminary training
and equipment costs. This was not paid to KTB but was paid directly
to suppliers for equipment and food for the participants. It also
covered the cost of training of KTB leaders by Graeme Sawyer (now
the STTF Regional Coordinator) on their first three toadbusts.
The STTF has also acknowledged the KTB through its website, its
media releases and in numerous public talks. In April 2006 the STTF
provided KTB with 60 one-way Perspex finger doors for its traps.
The STTF provided KTB with an opportunity to make a presentation
at its recent cane toad forum held in Perth on 17
June 2006, which KTB accepted.
Why hasn’t the STTF reimbursed the
KTB for any other of their past activities or provided any other
equipment?
The STTF has, on many occasions, offered to reimburse Toadbusters’
costs. However, the Toadbusters have never provided the STTF with
any invoices, receipts or other type of basic accounting documentation
to substantiate any reimbursement, stating that this simple process
would be too time consuming.
STTF also offered to provide equipment to KTB, but KTB responded
on 8 December 2005 refusing the offer and stating that their equipment
needs had already been catered for. Then on 21
April 2006 the Kimberly Toadbusters wrote to the STTF stating
they had decided not to apply for any retrospective or future funding,
or for any equipment, from the STTF, that they had made an agreement
with a private fundraising business (Biodiversity Protection WA
Inc), and that the KTB Board had decided they would acquire sufficient
funding from non STTF sources to meet their current field work costs.
Will the STTF pay for the KTB future activities
or equipment?
KTB have not applied, and on 21
April 2006 the KTB stated they will not apply, for any funds
or equipment from the STTF, on the basis that they had made an agreement
with a private organisation to be their primary commercial fundraiser,
and that they believed they would acquire sufficient funding from
non STTF sources to meet their costs.
On 5
May 2006 STTF responded to the KTB stating that the opportunity
for them to apply for funding would remain open, and that STTF would
consider changing any of the STTF funding conditions which the KTB
were concerned about. STTF has still not received a response to
this from the KTB. At the same time, the STTF also offered to loan
vehicles based in Kununurra to KTB – but again received no
response.
If KTB decide to apply for funding, the STTF has stated in writing
that it will consider their application and provide KTB with operational
funds and equipment for activities which are shown to be strategic,
cost effective, legal and safe.
KTB does not currently have any outstanding funding applications
with STTF.
Why doesn’t the STTF simply provide
an untied grant of funds and/or equipment to the KTB?
The STTF obtained $500k operational funding from the State Government
in December 2005 – this is public money and as such the Foundation
is required to ensure that all its funding is used for activities
which are strategic, cost effective, legal and safe, and that all
funding is properly accounted for. STTF does not have any knowledge
which suggests that the KTB activities meet these criteria. The
knowledge STTF does have about the KTB activities makes it concerned
that many of these criteria are not met. The STTF must also ensure
that it has adequate accounting information, such as receipts or
invoices, for funding it provides. The STTF can’t provide
funds to KTB unless KTB provides this basic information.
The STTF is not aware of any organisation which operates funding
programs without the requirement of the most basic form of financial
accountability or without determining that the funds will be used
effectively.
Surely the KTB know more about
frontline activities in the Kimberley than the STTF?
The STTF acknowledges the KTB live and operate in the Kimberley
and that the group has built good knowledge since September 2005
about hand collection and trapping of cane toads. However, the KTB
do not know ‘everything’ about front line activities,
and aren’t the only ones who know ‘something’.
STTF Regional Coordinator Graeme Sawyer actually trained many of
the KTB leaders and has more frontline experience of cane toads
and how to catch them than anyone, given his experience with the
advance of cane toads through the Northern Territory, and towards
Darwin. STTF have developed a strategic plan on the basis of input
from cane toad experts around Australia and it was acting in accordance
with this plan that saw STTF locate a new front line during its
field operation on 17 June, which was also attended by Chris Spurr
of KTB at the invitation of STTF. (See www.stopthetoad.com - media
section – 20 June – “Clear
that cane toads have moved westwards as waters recede”)
STTF is not party to any evidence that the KTB have been carrying
out significant activities on the front line (in fact KTB efforts
have largely been well behind it) or that these activities have
been approached in any strategic manner. The STTF believes that
frontline strategic toadbusting activities can deliver significant
impacts on advancing toad populations and that the bulk of effort
should therefore be directed there. Targeting cane toads behind
the frontline at easily accessible locations such as Timber Creek
and the Victoria River Roadhouse area, as the KTB does, are useful
training activities and can be used to demonstrate the impact of
toads in localised situations to the broader community (particularly
travellers), but the primary emphasis must be against the frontline
animals, which is where the STTF efforts are focussed.
Why doesn’t the STTF concentrate
on fundraising and raising awareness and leave on-ground activities
to the KTB?
Preventing the entry of the cane toad into WA is a huge whole-of-community
task that will require all of our best efforts. There is more than
enough work for all of us to do in both on-ground control activities
and in promoting the battle against the cane toad invasion to the
broader Australian community.
It is not practical or reasonable to rely solely on a volunteer
group such as KTB who have a finite amount of spare time from their
day jobs, and a finite number of people to draw on in a small community,
to carry out all necessary in field and community activities. Relying
solely on KTB to do all works would be major cause for concern,
regardless of their enthusiasm. The STTF, with full time paid staff,
can do many different types of on-ground and other activities, equally
important to the efforts of the KTB, but which a volunteer group
would have difficulty sustaining e.g. developing strategic plans,
conducting fencing trials, extended exercises in the field etc.
Recent surveillance work by STTF has shown that most KTB efforts
to date were up to 120km behind the front line. This means that
relying on KTB would not actually achieve the results that are required
to ‘stop the toad’. Providing funding for any activities
well behind the front would arguably be a waste of STTF money. The
fact the STTF located the new front line demonstrates the importance
of the STTF conducting its own on-ground activities according to
its strategies.
Won’t there be duplication
if the STTF carry out on ground works as well as KTB?
Our aim has always been to foster co-operative and complimentary
responses to the cane toad threat. The Department of Conservation
and Land Management also carries out on-ground toad control activities
such as toadbusting and trapping. The STTF recognises the importance
of a compatible and open working relationship with this government
agency to ensure that the best and most strategic approach is taken
in the battle to keep WA free of cane toads, and has an arrangement
with them to ensure cross communication and avoids costly duplication.
STTF has sought the same working relationship with KTB, but so far
without success.
As noted above, there is more than enough work to do for the KTB,
the STTF, and anyone else who wants to help. In order to ensure
that there is no duplication the STTF believes that it is important
that the KTB and STTF understand what activities the other is carrying
out and planning. This would also allow both groups to capitalise
on any synergies which may be gained by cooperative works. On 17
February 2006 and again on 5
May 2006 the STTF suggested KTB and STTF establish a joint committee
to ensure this – but has not received any response from the
KTB.
Is the STTF trying to direct the work of
the KTB?
The STTF has never tried to direct the KTB work. STTF recognises
that the KTB are an independent group who will make their own decisions
about where and when to carry out cane toad trapping activities.
The STTF will provide funds for KTB and other individual and group
activities which are strategic and cost effective, such as those
outlined in the STTF Dry Season Strategy. If the KTB decide to carry
out activities which are compatible with this plan, they can apply
for STTF funding. If they decide to carry out other activities which
are not compatible with the Plan, they can still apply, provided
they make submissions to the STTF about why the activities should
be considered as strategic.
If they decide to carry out activities that cannot be demonstrated
to be cost effective or strategic then STTF cannot provide them
with funding. STTF recognises KTB are an autonomous group who can
decide to do operations wherever they wish, but STTF cannot provide
funds for those activities unless the activities meet basic safety
standards and are strategic and cost effective. The STTF needs also
to be provided with basic accounting information in return.
Why don’t the KTB and the STTF try
to agree what strategic activities are necessary?
STTF has invited KTB input into developing the STTF’s strategic
and operational plans on many occasions. The KTB have never taken
these opportunities to contribute. The STTF has developed strategic
and operational plans on the basis of input from cane toad experts
around Australia, and these plans are open for public and agency
comment. To date the KTB have not commented on the plans. The STTF
has sought to have input to any form of strategic planning that
the KTB may have, but has not as yet been provided with any documents.
What is the STTF doing to try and work
with the KTB?
On 17
February 2006 the STTF wrote to the KTB suggesting that the
two groups enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to deal with
issues such as:
- Communication
- STTF funding/equipment for KTB past and future activities
- Independent, complementary, but not competitive, fundraising
activities
- KTB input into STTF on-ground directions, strategies and operations
- Collection and use of information
- Administrative support to be provided by the STTF to the KTB
- Dispute resolution procedures
- Joint KTB/STTF steering committee to progress cooperation on
all these fronts
The STTF has never received a response to this proposal.
On 7 April, STTF Board Chair Robert Edel, Vice-Chair Luc Longley,
Strategic Campaign Manager Dennis Beros and Regional Coordinator
Graeme Sawyer travelled to Kununurra to meet with the KTB and resolve
the issues. A long list of preliminary agreements, recorded in a
STTF letter to the KTB on 13
April 2006, were reached. But on 21
April 2006 the KTB wrote to the STTF saying that it wanted no
funding or equipment from STTF and had instead made an arrangement
with a private fundraising organisation (Biodiversity Protection
WA Inc) and would acquire sufficient funding from non STTF sources
to meet their costs. It made no reference to the other areas of
discussion..
Then on 5
May 2006 the STTF wrote to the KTB:
- Stating that, despite the KTB 21
April 2006 decision not to apply for any funding, STTF funding
opportunities would remain open to them and that STTF would re-consider
any of the proposed conditions of funding which the KTB were concerned
about
- Suggesting a joint KTB/STTF committee be established to ensure
that all on ground works were cooperative and complementary, and
to deal with the other issues in the 17
February 2006 letter.
The STTF has never received a response to these proposals either.
The STTF has proposed that a sub committee of the Kununurra Cane
Toad Working Group be established which could include representatives
of the STTF, CALM and the KTB.
Then on 14
July 2006 the STTF wrote to the KTB:
- Congratulating them on receiving a futher $225,000 from the
Australian Government for their toad busting activities, and
- Suggesting that it was now more important that ever that STTF
and KTB understand what activities the other is carrying out and
planning, so that there is no duplication of activities and so
that both groups can capitalise on any synergies which may be
gained by cooperative works.
The STTF has not received a response to these proposals.
Where to from here?
STTF continues to believe that it is important to work in cooperation
with the KTB, and that the KTB should have sufficient funding and
equipment for their activities. However, to date the KTB have rejected,
or simply have not responded to any of the STTF proposals to ensure
this. STTF hopes this will change in the future, but for now must
concentrate on its own strategic activities to stop the toad.
Download a pdf version of this document here.
Contact: Dennis Beros
Strategic Campaign Manager
Stop The Toad Foundation Inc
0409 244 029
Email Dennis
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