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Dog Attacks On Humans Only A Matter Of Time

The Bracks Government’s neglect of the serious wild dog problems in north eastern Victoria has local farmers worried about a future dog attack on bushwalkers.

By Phillip Davis - 23rd June 2006 - Back to News

Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis said today the Bracks Government had spent the past four years ignoring advice from the Liberal Party and farmers in Victoria’s north-east and far east Gippsland about the increasing numbers of vicious wild dogs.

Mr Davis said farms in the Tallangatta region were constantly under attack from wild dogs and farmers were forced to keep a nightly vigil over their stock.

"Farmers are still losing millions of dollars worth of stock while the Bracks Government simply sits back and refuses to admit wild dogs are a problem," Mr Davis said.

"The Liberal Party has been keeping the government to account on this issue for three years, but still the problem remains.

"Farmers have been camping out in their paddocks to keep an eye on their stock, employing shooters to hunt the dogs from their properties and even the desperate measure of installing surveillance cameras or selling up their properties all together.

"Dog traps are clearly not working and another solution must be found.

"Because these dogs come from Crown land, farmers in Tallangatta are understandably holding grave fears for the public using Crown land for recreational purposes."

"It is only a matter of time before someone gets attacked by wild dogs. It would be a tragedy if this happened because governments have not been prepared to admit there is a problem and take some action to control wild dogs. It doesn’t matter who you talk to, anyone who has property near crown land or parks is having the same problem." – Ross Moyle, The Border Mail, Wednesday 21 June 2006

Mr Davis said the Bracks Government must begin aerial baiting to control the wild dogs.

"Farmers throughout the affected regions of Victoria are crying out for aerial baiting to bring wild dog numbers under control," he said.

"One has to question the point of trialing non-toxic aerial baits in the north east, which was the Bracks Government’s ‘solution’ to this problem. These baits have obviously had no affect on the dogs, and they continue to slaughter hundreds of sheep every week.

"A Liberal Government will conduct a controlled aerial baiting trial for wild dogs and if the trial is successful, a Liberal Government will introduce a full aerial baiting program.

"The Bracks Labor Government will continue to ignore this wild dog problem at its own peril. It will be too late to act after the wild dogs decide to turn on bushwalkers or others using public land."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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