12 November 2024
The Victorian Government’s ceasing of the dingo unprotection order in north-west Victoria in March continues to threaten the livelihoods of livestock producers across Victoria and South Australia, with several reports of producers in the region struggling with the impacts of wild dog attacks.
Geoff Power, Chair of the National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee and South Australian wool farmer, said this decision was based on questionable wild dog population estimates, leaving sheep and cattle producers in the region ill-equipped to prevent attacks on their livestock.
“We’ve repeatedly requested to view the scientific report the Victorian Government based their decision on, with no response. As Chair of the National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee, the reluctance of the Victorian Government to share the report is alarming and raises concerns about the validity of the science used to justify their decision,” said Mr Power.
In addition, the National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee and livestock industry stakeholders have requested the Victorian Government undertake a peer review of the paper that informed their decision – in line with standard practice to inform policy settings – and look forward to seeing results from this review if undertaken.
Mr Power said, “It’s not just Victorian farmers who are impacted. There is real concern being felt by South Australian farmers, with 80% of livestock in South Australia residing in the south-east of the state – right on the verge of the unprotection order in north-west Victoria.”
As announced last month, the Coordination Committee were pleased by the Victorian Government’s announcement to continue the dingo unprotection order in eastern Victoria; however, dingoes are still protected in the north-west of the state.
‘We’re well aware that wild dogs don’t respect state lines. Over the border in Ngarkat Conservation Park in South Australia – which is connected to the Big Desert Wilderness Park in Victoria – recent surveys for wild dogs recorded signs of at least 21 dogs by a professional trapper, in just one small section of the park.
“Given the density of dogs in Ngarkat Conservation Park, I will be recommending to the South Australian Government that professional trappers are engaged in this area with urgency, in line with SA policy for management of dingoes inside the fence,” said Mr Power.
Based on this information, the National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee is calling on the Victorian Government to review all the available data and revisit the end of the dingo unprotection order for the north-west of the state.
The National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee will continue to actively engage with the Victorian Government on this issue, to ensure livestock producers in Victoria and South Australia are appropriately protected from the very real impacts of inadequate wild dog control measures.
For more information on Australia’s approach to wild dog control, visit the National Wild Dog Action Plan website here.
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