Wild dog control: Labor’s broken promise

The Allan Government looks set to break its promise to consult farmers on ending or extending lethal dingo control, for a second time.

The ministerial order allowing lethal control of dingoes or wild dogs expires in September, but farmers have not been consulted on what happens next. Picture: Doug Read

The Allan Government looks set to break a promise to consult farmers on banning the baiting, trapping and shooting of wild dogs in Victoria, for a second time.

In September last year three government ministers signed an order extending lethal control of dingoes for just 12 months, which they said would allow time for a major review on the future of the wild dogs, in consultation with all stakeholders.

At the time, then Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney, Environment Minister Ingrid Stitt and Outdoor Recreation Minister Sonya Kilkenny promised “informed consultation with traditional owners, graziers and peak bodies representing the affected farming community and conservation interests”, prior to extending or ending lethal control of wild dogs.

Yet in March this year the Allan Government blindsided farmers by announcing all lethal control measures in northwest Victoria would come to an end, which coincided with a meeting of a review panel that includes proponents of dingo protection.

Yanac sheep producer Alan Bennett said he and other northwest farmers were stunned by the move, having heard nothing from the government nor its review panel until after the decision.

“There’s been no formal consultation or meetings,” Mr Bennett said. “They made the decision and then left it to Agriculture Victoria to talk to us.”

Meanwhile farmers across the eastern half of the state are becoming increasingly nervous, given they have heard nothing on the review, despite the control order for northeast Victoria and Gippsland expiring on September 30.

Mitta Valley farmer Judy Cardwell says the government keep promising to sit down and talk to farmers on what happens beyond September 30, but nothing happens.

Northeast Wild Dog Action Group spokeswoman Judy Cardwell said the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action “keeps saying they will have this consultation, but nothing happens”.

“We’re so frustrated,” Ms Cardwell said. “We’ve tried and tried.”

When asked whether farmers would be consulted, Agriculture Minister Ros Spence said “the (review) panel will continue to consult with people who could be affected by any decision made”, despite the Victorian Farmers Federation’s Livestock Group saying they’ve heard nothing.

“We know that protecting livestock against predators is a significant challenge for farmers,” Ms Spence’s office said.

“We’re undertaking a comprehensive assessment of Victoria’s dingo population to set management practices that most appropriately balance the protection of livestock and the conservation of dingoes.”

NSW and South Australian farmers have also raised concerns over the end of wild dog control on Victoria, with Nerriga sheep and cattle farmer John Rolfe saying wild dogs would spill across the border casing problems for all producers.