Calls for dingoes to be reintroduced into Victorian forests

Dingo populations could be reintroduced native parks and other areas after research found they could help fix this big problem.

A government review of ecosystem decline in the state has recommended a trial of introducing dingoes back into native parks. Picture: Sarah Matray

Dingo populations would be reintroduced into Victorian forests as an eco-friendly method of pest control under a suite of new recommendations put forward by a parliamentary inquiry.

A government review of ecosystem decline in the state has recommended a trial of introducing the apex predator back into native parks and other areas to help limit the impact of foxes, feral goats, cats and other introduced species.

Research suggests they would also deal with excessive kangaroo populations and help smaller animals under threat such as marsupials, birds and reptiles.

Farmers would need to be compensated for livestock that may be eaten.

The committee has also recommended the government phase out the use of 1080 baits, commonly used to limit fox populations, and develop a strategy to limit the impact of domestic cats on the environment.

In a submission to the inquiry, the Australian Dingo Foundation said foxes and cats had contributed to the extinction of small native marsupials and were threatening other species.

Reintroducing dingoes into key areas would kill these pests and prevent them from hunting.

“Dingoes fill the niche of apex land predator within Australia at the top of the food chain,” they submission reads.

Indigenous Australians have also called for dingoes to return to parts of Victoria. Picture: Sarah Matray

“Dingoes are ecosystem regulators, providing ecological stability and resilience with the entire ecosystem’s health hinging on their performance.

“Through complex behaviours and social interactions, dingoes also self-regulate their

own populations which is essentially unique to top order predators across the world, including lions and wolves.”

Dingos are also culturally significant for some Indigenous Australians, who have also been calling for their return to parts of Victoria.

The committee recommended that a trial to reintroduce dingoes take place in a park or reserve where they used to live but were later exterminated.

Banyule City Council, which last year considered introducing a cat curfew, was mentioned as a model that other parts of the state could follow.

The council offers free desexing, microchipping and registration for cats in suburbs where the animals create issues for the local environment.

Committee chair Sonja Terpstra said the inquiry had also called for a new probe into the health of the state’s rivers and marine environments.

“Despite the size and scope of this committee’s report there is still a great deal more work to be done to address the environmental challenges facing our state,” she said.

Climate change was found to be playing a role in the collapse of ecosystems, with more work needed to accurately forecast the full impact on Victoria’s flora and fauna.

In a separate minority report, the state Coalition did not support the return of dingoes into native parks and called for more action on bushfire prevention.

Opposition spokeswoman for public land use, Melina Bath called on the state government to backburn 5 per cent of state forests and to work with Indigenous Australians on reintroducing “cool burning” techniques.

“We can’t afford to ignore these opportunities to strengthen bushfire preparedness and collaborate with Traditional Owners for the health of our environment and the safety of our communities,” she said.

Originally published as Calls for dingoes to be reintroduced into Victorian forests