The Legislative Council inquiry was set up to look at the impact of the fallow deer population. 

TFGA chief executive Peter Skillern and chairman Don Jones fronted the committee and made their opinions on the matter clear, including that a risk assessment of feral fallow deer be undertaken.

Mr Jones said it was unrealistic to think deer numbers could grow to one million.

“There are undoubtedly places in Tasmania where deer haven’t been before but those places don’t have large numbers of deer,” he said.

“You can’t say there’s a huge increase of deer or there will be a huge increase in deer unless you’ve got a viable study done,” Mr Jones said.

Mr Skillern said an assesment of the future of the population could be impacted by climate change.

“The other thing that needs to be taken on board is climate change and the impact that’s going to have over this state,” he said.