Dingo deal: Animals Australia drops case against Victorian Government

Animals Australia dropped its Supreme Court case against Victorian Government dingo controls, just four days after wild dog protections were put in place.

One of the sheep that wild dogs killed on Alan Bennett's north-west Victorian property

Animals Australia dropped its Supreme Court case against the Victorian Government’s dingo control program, just four days after both environment and agriculture ministers agreed to protect wild dogs in the state’s north-west.

The Supreme Court verified the case brought by Animals Australia against the Victorian Attorney-General in November last year was “dismissed by consent” on March 19.

Just four days earlier Victorian Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos and Agriculture Minister Ros Spence signed off on an Order in Council that ended decades of dingo control in the north-west, protecting all dingoes and wild dogs on public and private land.

The move stunned farmers, who had been assured by both ministers that they and other stakeholders would be consulted on a review into dingo control that was not due to be finalised until later this year.

Both Ministers refused to answer questions on why the case had been dismissed and if some sort of deal had been struck with Animals Australia.

Court documents show Animals Australia’s original motion from November last year argued previous government orders, extending lethal control of wild and dingoes until October 1 this year, were “invalid and of no effect” and that sheep losses were “minuscule”.

Victorian Farmers Federation livestock councillor Peter Star said farmers needed to know if the government had struck a deal with Animals Australia and if “there was more pain to come” for livestock producers in the state’s east, where dingo control on public land remains in place.

The government has promised to consult farmers on removing controls, but Mr Star said the VFF was left in the dark on the north-west decision.

The offices of Ministers Dimopoulos and Spence said “we’re undertaking a comprehensive assessment of Victoria’s dingo population to guide management practices that most appropriately balance the protection of livestock and the conservation of dingoes.”

“We will continue to work closely with traditional owners, farmers and private landholders across Victoria to build on existing programs and regulations to support best practice management that balances livestock protection and dingo conservation.”

Meanwhile north-west Victorian sheep producers have been left with their hands tied, unable to kill dogs that attack their sheep.

Yanac farmer Alan Bennett, who runs sheep on 4400ha adjacent to the Big Desert, said dogs had attacked his sheep five times over the past month.

“If they want to protect dingoes there has to be some evening of the cost,” Mr Bennett said. “(Either) pay for the sheep or exclusion fencing”.