22 May 2015
The Coalition Government will provide an additional $1.35 million to support the continued implementation of the National Wild Dog Action Plan over the next two years.
Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, announced the funding in Michelago with the Member for Eden-Monaro, Peter Hendy, and said this funding will provide continuity and certainty for the roll-out of the Plan over the longer term as well as a lever for attracting co-investment dollars from industry and other governments.
“Last year we provided start-up funding of $280,000 towards the Plan, which funded a number of outcomes including the updated PestSmart Connect National Wild Dog Action Plan portal that I launched on Tuesday.
“We are now investing an additional $1.35 million to ensure national coordination and on-the-ground methodologies for wild dog management are accessible, reliable, available and used to the greatest effect possible. It will also deliver support projects and will strengthen the on-ground work that is already being pursued,” Minister Joyce said today.
Success is dependent on industry, farmers, state and territory governments and the community all playing a role. The Plan provides a model for industry-led action and it is up to all of us to make a difference – ‘working together-working smarter’.
“Wild dogs are estimated to cost Australia’s agricultural sector up to $66 million per year through livestock losses, disease transmission and control costs—but no dollar figure can reflect the frustration and distress that wild dog attacks cause for the farmers who put their heart and soul into raising and protecting their livestock,” Minister Joyce said.
“This funding complements the $8.8 million we have already committed through the drought assistance package for pest management across Australia, as well as an additional $25.8 million under this year’s Budget to continue to manage the impacts of pest animals and weeds in drought-affected areas.
“This investment is essential to the long-term protection of the contribution that our livestock industries make to Australia—wool exports alone were worth $2.9 billion to the national economy in 2013-14.
“I commend all parties—industry, governments, farmers, and research agencies including the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)—for the work they have done to date in developing and implementing this action plan, and I am pleased that this good work will be continuing.
WoolProducers Australia facilitated the development of the National Wild Dog Action Plan in collaboration with the wool, sheepmeat, cattle and goat industries and the Australian, state and territory governments.
The implementation of the action plan is managed by a steering committee drawn from key stakeholders and supported by a Stakeholder Consultative Group.
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