Wild dog and dingo control must be a top priority for NSW, farmers warn, as a Victorian government decision could send the predators swarming across state lines.
The government ruling, due by 1 October, could see the control order for dingoes lifted in Victoria’s northeast – rendering these animals a protected species in the state and leaving farmers powerless to stop the predators from attacking and killing their livestock.
Nerriga sheep and cattle farmer John Rolfe said while the NSW government had voiced the concerns of farmers around the issue, more must be done to ensure the control order remained in place.
“Lifting this order means there is nothing Victorian farmers can do to control wild dogs and dingoes and stop them from killing their calves, lambs or other livestock en mass,” Mr Rolfe said.
“Regardless of whether they’re a wild dog or a dingo, both species viciously attack and kill livestock, and can travel hundreds of kilometres across the landscape in a week.
“If Victorians can’t stop their spread, there’s no doubt we will see significant numbers of these predators flooding into NSW and it will be a huge struggle for us to get it under control.”
As debate continues around the protection of wild dogs and dingoes, Mr Rolfe said the state government must be ready to stop the spread of the animals into the state if the control order is lifted.
“This isn’t just a decision that will affect Victoria – the ramifications of unleashing these wild dogs and dingoes will have a huge impact on NSW producers too,” Mr Rolfe said.
“Setting a wild species loose in our farming communities is not just naive, but seriously dangerous, putting our livestock at a grave risk we simply cannot ignore.
“Understanding the issue is the first step for our government, but now, we need to get coordination and funding secured – and fast – to control these predators before it’s too late.”
