The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is calling on the Federal Government to urgently commit funding to wild dog control, as the nation’s leading management program faces an uncertain future.
Funding for the National Wild Dog Management Coordinator is due to expire at the end of September, with funding for the National Wild Dog Action Plan expiring a month later.
NFF President Hamish McIntyre said wild dogs were a serious threat to farmers and their animals.
“Wild dogs cost our industry an estimated $302 million each and every year,” Mr McIntyre said.
“Wild dogs are especially cruel killers, often leaving livestock to suffer slow, painful deaths from their bites.
“It’s vital that the National Coordinator is reinstated come September. If funding isn’t renewed, we’ll be undoing more than a decade of progress.
“Farmers already spend millions of dollars and countless hours managing wild dogs.
“These wild dogs come from all directions, including National Parks and Crown Land. It makes them very difficult to track.
“We need national support, and a crucial part of that is through the Coordinator and the Plan.”
The Chair of the National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordination Committee is seeking a federal commitment of $250,000 per year over five years to maintain the National Wild Dog Management Coordinator role and support the regional travel, communications and administrative functions required to deliver the program. The Plan is a nationally agreed framework that enables coordinated, evidence-based management across jurisdictions. The National Coordinator plays a critical role in supporting governments, regional groups, and land managers to deliver effective, landscape-scale control programs.
The NFF has backed the Chair’s funding request, and multiple industry bodies have already committed to co-funding the vital program.
“Without this nationally aligned approach, control efforts would become fragmented and less efficient, leading to increased livestock losses, reduced producer confidence, and heightened pressure on rural communities and ecosystems,” Mr McIntyre said.
“We’re only halfway through a 10-year management plan. There’s still a lot of important work ahead.”
“The Federal Government already funds national management coordinators for pigs, deer, rabbits, cats and foxes. It’s baffling they would walk away from wild dog management now.
“We urge the Federal Government to step up and financially commit to the Wild Dog Action Plan, before it’s too late.”