The National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee chair has once again called on the State Government to return to the unprotection order system to control wild dogs in northwest Victoria. 

Geoff Power said wild dog attacks continue to affect farmers in north-west Victoria.

Wild dogs and dingos mostly live in the Big Desert National Park, but wander on neighbouring farms, particularly in dry conditions, looking for water and kill farmers’ livestock.

The State Government made a shock announcement in April to lift an unprotection order for dingoes and wild dogs in north-west Victoria. The unprotection zone borders state parks, where the latest Arthur Rylah Institute data indicates the dingo population is at risk of extinction with as few as 40 dingoes left.

The changes mean farmers can no longer use any wild dog control to protect livestock on private land.

“When a government brings in a law that fully protects, in this case dingoes, Victorian farmers in that vicinity can do very little about that and they just have to wear stock losses, which we believe is not good enough,” Mr Power said.

“They say it’s evidence based, we contest that. For argument’s sake in South Australia, where Ngarkat Conservation Park, which joins landholders in South Australia and also joins parks in Victoria, we did a very quick survey just inside the park and we found evidence of 21 dogs in a very small area in the Ngarkat park.

“So we question the fact the Victorian government believes dingos are under threat within their parks in the northwest of the state.”

Mr Power said lifting the unprotection order not only resulted in increased livestock attacks, but was affecting farmers’ mental health.

“The mental anguish that this causes is twofold. It hits your bottom line, of course, because you’re losing sheep, but the other thing is farmers really love their animals, and they really feel it when they get up in the morning and they go out and see livestock predated, and you can’t sleep at night – it’s just a terrible situation to be in,” he said.

Mr Power said the government had said farmers could apply for a permit to continue controlling wild dogs on their properties, but more than six months later, permits had not been allocated to north-west farmers.

“And if they have, it’s too late. It’s after the damage is done,” he said.

“I’d like to see the status quo come in again, where they had an order in council where landholders could protect their livestock.

“In the northeast of the state, we’re pleased to see that an order in council was continued. 

“So in the northeast of the state, there’s a three-kilometre buffer zone between the parks and private landholders – and that’s worked for years. So what we want to see, as a National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee, is that reinstated.”

The entire November 27, 2024 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire November,27, 2024 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!