The Hon. Beverley McArthur, Member for Western Victoria, Media Release, 21 March 2024
The Victorian Government’s abolition of wild dog and dingo control in North-Western Victoria now poses serious threats to local communities and neighbouring sheep farmers in Western Victoria.
The announcement this week shocked the farming community, who were not consulted prior to the decision by Minister for the Environment Steve Dimopoulos.
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, raised the matter in the Parliament this week, calling it an appalling decision.
“My constituents, especially in the wool producing heartland of the south-west, are shocked.
“This retrograde choice will take us back to the bad old days, of savage attacks, extensive stock losses, and financial and mental anguish for the farmers who just want to protect and care for their sheep.
“While entitled animal justice warriors claim the ideological high ground wearing their ‘save the dingoes’ badge, they fail to acknowledge the animal welfare of sheep, especially lambs, family pets and small wildlife.
“Where is the justice for those animals?”
In 2022, wild dogs or dingoes maimed or killed more than 1200 livestock, causing significant financial and psychological impacts on farmers, let alone the impact on mutilated lambs and sheep.
“How short are our memories? Wild Dog Control programs were introduced little more than a decade ago, in response to truly traumatic circumstances.
“It is despicable this decision was taken without consulting farmers, whose livelihoods depend on their animals.”
Peter Star, Vice President of the Victorian Farmers Federation has called this decision “an absolute joke” saying it would only perpetuate dingo and wild-dog attacks on livestock.
He continued, “it is the most heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching thing to come upon, to check your flock and see lambs torn to pieces, ewes with their guts hanging out. It is not a pretty sight.”
Geoff Power, committee chair of the National Wild Dog Action Plan (NWDAP), said “removing the dingo unprotection order in the north-west could be the first step in undermining the state’s $4.5 billion sheep and wool industry and the 9200 jobs that it provides for Victorian residents.”
Mr Power makes the further point that “for industry, it’s not about eradication of dingoes, it’s about control.”
NWDAP coordinator Greg Mifsud stated, “the reality is that the dingo unprotection order provides a balance between wild dog control and dingo conservation.
“For industry, this decision is the realisation of their worst fears – of being almost powerless to protect the welfare of their animals from wild dog attacks.”
Mrs McArthur has previously called out the Government for its sham review on dingo management and conservation relying on research funded by lobby groups, including the Australian Dingo Association.
ADA claims that dingoes are “not aggressive” despite several attacks on children and adults, most recently biting a German tourist in Queensland five days ago. Another incident in January saw two children and a man attacked by a dingo. The primary school-aged girl was taken to hospital with significant leg wounds after she was bitten multiple times while swimming.
Mrs McArthur said, “it is an undeniable fact that dingoes and wild dogs are aggressive apex predators.
“The fact that ADA claim that “dingoes have never seen humans as prey” should render their ability to contribute to Government research null and void. Their excuse for research is so obviously prejudiced, unscientific, and politically driven.
“ADA also claim that “they do not waste their kill” but the bloody messes of slaughtered lambs tell a different story.
“There is no credible reason why the Government would employ associates of the ADA nor consider ‘research’ supported by such a biased organisation.”
Mrs McArthur has emphasised that the Government must commission new and independent research into dingoes, wild dogs and dingo–dog hybrids.
In Parliament, Mrs McArthur has asked the Minster for Environment when the research on this protection order will be released, who has been appointed to the unprotection review panel, and whether he could assure her constituents that “this desperate stupidity will be extended no further”.
Warning: The following images contain graphic material of injured lambs after dingo attacks.
Related story: Striking the balance to save threatened dingo population: Dimopoulos
