Wild dog deadline: Tierney and Stitt refuse to act on dingo threat

Victoria’s wild dog control program is under threat, with an order declaring dingoes unprotected to expire in October.

A wild dog is caught by a trail camera dining on a deer carcass in the Alpine National Park, northeast of Omeo. Picture: Doug Read

Victoria’s wild dog control program is at risk of collapse, with the Andrews government refusing to commit on extending an order that declares dingoes “unprotected” wildlife.

The order, which expires on October 1, has allowed Mallee, Gippsland and northeast Victorian farmers to bait and shoot wild dogs and dingoes on crown land within 3km of their property boundaries, and allowed wild dog controllers to trap and bait dogs in the same zone.

Yet Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney and Environment Minister Ingrid Stitt, who are responsible for reissuing the order, refuse to say whether the order will be extended.

Hatched areas of Victoria where dingoes are unprotected on private land and on public land within 3kms of private land boundaries.

A spokesman for both ministers simply stated: “We will continue to work with traditional owners, farmers and private landholders to appropriately balance the protection of livestock and dingo conservation.”

The Andrews Government has come under pressure from Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell to protect dingoes and end 1080 baiting.

Ms Purcell, whose support is critical to the government in the Upper House, has told parliament as “little as 0.0056 per cent of Victoria’s sheep population was reportedly attacked” by dingoes.

“The sheep industry’s own research states that more than 80 per cent of lamb deaths are due to farm management practices, including breeding for multiple births and repeat exposure to the cold,” she said.

Victorian Farmers Federation livestock councillor Peter Star said that if the order was not reissued “everything will go to shit”.

“You won’t have a wild dog control program – no aerial or ground baiting, trapping,” he said.

Mr Star’s message to ministers Tierney and Stitt was “don’t f… up the wild dog program”.

Dederang farmer John McEvoy, whose has lost 30 Aussie white lambs and two ewes in nine wild dog attacks since July, said animal lobbyists needed to remember farm animals also needed protection.

John and wife Sharon have spent thousands of dollars on 6kms of boundary and internal electrified fencing, plus four alpacas and flashing coloured solar powered strobe lights, to try and stop dogs.

But the dogs still got in.

“It’s very distressing going out in the morning and seeing a flock of crows (over a night’s kill), Mr McEvoy said.

“They get the bigger lambs, open them at the shoulder to take their livers and kidneys, then leave the rest.”

One of the lambs killed by wild dogs on John and Sharon McEvoy’s Dederang property.

It wasn’t until Mr McEvoy called in government-funded wild dog controllers in July, who have trapped three dogs to date, that the attacks eased off, with no more sheep losses in the past 10 days.

“We love our animals and don’t want them maimed,” Mr McEvoy said. “They (AJP) call themselves a justice party, then where’s the justice for our animals.”