Farmers have urged the state government to take a common sense approach to wild dog and dingo control as changes to Victorian measures put livestock at increasing risk of attack.
This year, the Victorian Government lifted the control order for dingoes in the northwest of the state – rendering these animals a protected species and leaving farmers powerless to stop the predators from attacking and killing their livestock.
Nerriga sheep and cattle farmer John Rolfe said as the Victorian government prepares to expand this ‘unprotection order’ to the southeast of the state in October, the Minns Government must act swiftly to minimise the impact of the changes on livestock producers in NSW.
“Scientists and governments can play around with the classification of wild dogs and dingoes and what should be protected, but the reality is they both kill lambs and calves – so both need to be controlled,” Mr Rolfe said.
“Wild dogs and dingoes don’t read lines on a map, so the actions of the Victorian Government will no doubt ensure wild dogs and dingoes will leak like a sieve across the state and into NSW.
“These animals viciously attack and kill calves, lambs, goat kids and even larger livestock such as ewes – so we simply cannot stand by and watch the population of these predators explode.”
As farmers continue to monitor for wild dog and dingo attacks across the states, Mr Rolfe said a practical, considered pest control strategy was critical to ensure NSW’s livestock industry could be protected from the effects of wild dogs and dingoes.
“Keeping control orders for wild dogs and dingoes in place across NSW should be the bare minimum when it comes to keeping our goats, sheep and cattle safe from attack,” Mr Rolfe said.
“Now the Victorian Government has let the side down and unleashed these predators, the NSW Government must prepare to do everything in its power to protect our livestock industry from the effects of these senseless decisions.
“Coordination and funding to ramp up baiting, exclusion fencing and other measures to control wild dogs and dingoes must be tabled by the government and fast if we want to get ahead of the problem – or else it will take nothing short of a miracle to get on top of these pests.”
