A controversial wombat cull on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula won't go ahead, with the Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT) saying it will seek an "alternative solution".
The State Government's Department of Environment and Water (DEW) had approved the cull, amid concerns the wombats were causing damage to farming equipment.
The cull would have taken place on Aboriginal-owned farmland, near Point Pearce, which is leased by a local farmer.
"The ALT has resolved to work with all parties to seek an alternative solution to the proposed culling of wombats which were hindering farming activity," said John Chester, the Aboriginal Lands Trust chief executive.
"The application to cull the wombat colony was submitted in good faith last year and with the support of the Point Pearce community, the ALT and other stakeholders."
"The animals also pose a potential health risk to the community due to mange infestation.
Cull posed 'no threat' to sustainability
There were concerns the cull would devastate the local wombat population, with academics estimating there are only 800 wombats left on Yorke Peninsula.
But Mr Chester said the population "vastly exceeds" that.
"Estimates based on aerial studies of warrens suggest the population is in excess of 2000 wombats on the farm, let alone all of Point Pearce or the Yorke Peninsula," he said.
"The proposed culling of this particular population would present no threat to the sustainability of the wombat population on Yorke Peninsula.
"We are nevertheless alive to the sensitivities involved in the culling of native Australian wildlife and open to alternative solutions."
Questions over mange assessment
South Australian Greens MP Tammy Franks questioned the ALT's assessment that some wombats near Point Pearce had mange.
"The brown tinge that was described to me by John Chester as a potential sign of mange, has actually been described by wombat experts to me as a potential sign of starvation," she said.
"We need to establish whether or not it is mange, then international best practice is you don't cull wombats, you treat them and move on from there.
"This process just seemed to be lacking in the verifiable data and rigour that the department should need to sign off on it."
She suggested a wombat sanctuary should be established on the farmland.
"Those sorts of things can be financially viable in themselves, there's well established community support worldwide for wombats," she said.
Wombat health still a concern
Adjahdura/Narungga and Ngadjuri elder Quenten Agius was emotional when he learned the cull had been called off.
He said the health of wombats around Point Pearce was his main concern.
"We know that they've been starved and deprived of water, we've been trying our best as a family to do things," he said.
"Looking at the Point itself, we've been saying to the community for years they need to revegetate that whole Point, so we can have somewhere for our animals, our wildlife."
He hoped government organisations will now try and work together to protect wombats.
DEW said it supported the Aboriginal Lands Trust and Point Pearce Aboriginal Corporation to take action to protect income and jobs on their land.
Farming and wombats coexisting
Mr Chester said the ALT is looking at ways for wombats and farming operations to co-exist.
"Preliminary discussions have focussed on identifying an area on the parcel of land that can be reserved for the wombat colony," he said.
He said farming is "critical to the sustainment of the local community" and hoped it could continue while the culling of animals is avoided.
Point Pearce's local MP, Fraser Ellis, said the farmer that leases the land from the Point Pearce community wasn't looking to wantonly kill wombats.
"In terms of it being portrayed as a farmer wanting to destroy a number of wombats on a whim, that's not the case," he said.
