Overview
- Curtin University modeling warns cane toads are advancing about 40–50 km a year, with Broome projected within two to three wet seasons and the Pilbara within 10–20 years without intervention.
- Researchers propose a 150 km containment zone between Broome and Port Hedland by upgrading roughly 150 dams to tanks and troughs that toads cannot access.
- The Age reports backing from pastoralists, BHP, Rio Tinto, the Skip Foundation, and state government approval, with waterpoint upgrades planned to begin next year.
- Without containment, the study projects colonization of up to 75% of the Pilbara in three decades, placing about 25 native species at serious risk and pushing some toward higher threat categories.
- Scientists highlight cultural and economic stakes, warning of declines in species important to Traditional Custodians and potential new conservation obligations for the mining sector.