Little Desert dingo debate reignites at Nhill

Farmers in Victoria’s Wimmera region are lobbying for GPS-tracking collars on all privately-owned dingoes and answers about a potential local dingo breeding program.

Wimmera farmers are demanding GPS-tracking collars be fitted to all privately-owned dingoes and are seeking answers about a potential dingo breeding program in the region.

Frustration is growing among local councils and a state MP who claim they cannot obtain clear information from authorities about dingoes linked to the Little Desert Nature Lodge.

Nhill resident Marty Colbert has challenged Agriculture Minister Ros Spence’s claims about the number of dingoes discovered at the lodge following the Little Desert National Park fire on January 27 that burned through the property.

Mr Colbert, who visited the lodge on January 29 in the aftermath of the fire with property caretakers, said workers representing the licence holder reported there were 15 dingoes in total: nine rescued, three dead, two still in the enclosure and two unaccounted for.

In contrast, Agriculture Minister Ros Spence told the ABC in February that there were 11 dingoes at the lodge: five rescued before the fire, three recovered after, and three dead. She stated that all dingoes were accounted for, with none escaping or released.

The government has not confirmed the nature of the permit or the identity of the permit holder, although it is understood that dingoes were being held and bred with a valid permit.

Mr Colbert said he was frustrated by a lack of information from the government in relation to the situation,

“Everything has gone quiet. We’re not being fully informed, and that’s where doubt and fear creeps in. During my accompanied visit to the breeding site I discovered differences in the number of dingoes shared with the public versus what I observed first-hand,” Mr Colbert told a community meeting in the Wimmera on Thursday.

More than 100 Nhill and district community members gathered at Winiam Hall to discuss issues including the recent Little Desert National Park fire operations, the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund, and concerns about a potential dingo breeding program at the lodge.

File picture of dingoes.

The controversy follows the Victorian government’s decision last March to cease wild dog control in northwest Victoria to protect what it said was a population of dingoes at risk of extinction.

Landholders say wild dog attacks on livestock have increased since the order.

Representatives from the West Wimmera Shire Council and Hindmarsh Shire Council attended the meeting, while Lowan Nationals MP Emma Kealy and Victorian Farmers Federation vice president Peter Starr joined virtually.

Ms Kealy raised concerns about the potential breeding program in parliament in mid-February, but confirmed she had received no response to date.

The meeting, attended mostly by local farmers, called for GPS-tracking collars on all privately-owned dingoes, an audit of the dingo permit holder, and for the state government to publicise its findings.

Hindmarsh Shire Council chief executive Monica Revell said the council had made several attempts to gain clarity about the alleged dingo breeding program but had received no information from state authorities.

Lawloit farmer and West Wimmera Shire councillor Richard Hicks expressed frustration, stating that as a farmer, he felt they deserved answers from state authorities.

“What concerns me most about this whole issue is why whoever felt there was a need to keep it secret, the lack of transparency, the lack of public consultation and that still exists now,” he said.

Yanac farmer and wild dog trapper Murray Miller stated there had been no breeding populations in the Little Desert over the past 100 years, with the only trapped wild dogs believed to be migratory.

The Little Desert National Park fire. Picture: Supplied

The Weekly Times has made several attempts to contact the permit holder for comment.

Dingoes can be kept privately or commercially in Victoria, and a private licence allows the holder to possess, keep, breed, buy, sell and dispose of dingoes for private purposes.

The Weekly Times contacted the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Ms Spence’s office seeking information about the timing of the government’s notification of impacted dingoes at the Little Desert Nature Lodge, confirmation of an authorised officer’s review of the dingo enclosure as required by the permit, the number of DEECA visits to the property, and any information related to an alleged dingo breeding program.

The inquiry was referred to the Conservation Regulator, which stated it does not release details of individual wildlife permits and only conducts inspections to ensure compliance.

“Anyone keeping dingoes in Victoria is required to maintain enclosures of sufficient size to support the health and wellbeing of those dingoes, and maintain public safety through prevention of escape. The Conservation Regulator inspects properties to ensure that enclosure requirements are met,” they said.

More than 100 farmers attended a community meeting at Winiam Hall. Picture: Rachel Simmonds

Originally published as Little Desert dingo debate reignites at Nhill